South Carolina lawmakers join the fight to overhaul DEI initiatives

Universities’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts are facing challenges throughout the country. 

Campus Reform reported Monday that Iowa’s Board of Regents paused new DEI initiatives at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa. 

Other states taking similar action include Texas and Florida. 

In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has made stripping the state of its DEI efforts and other higher education reforms the feature of his governorship. 

The governor’s Twitter account features threads of anti-DEI commentary and this video that exposes DEI programs and initiatives: 

Exposing the DEI Scam pic.twitter.com/xaajJCtNs3

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 13, 2023

[RELATED: PROF. JENKINS: DeSantis makes Florida where DEI goes to d-i-e]

Now, South Carolina lawmakers have joined the fight to overhaul DEI in their state as well. 

Last week, Republican state lawmakers voiced support for legislation that would address concerns about university DEI efforts, as reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education. 

South Carolina State Representative Adam Morgan, who serves on the Education and Public Works Committee, argued during a House budget hearing last week that the legislature should create a new state office to go after colleges that spent money on DEI, dubbed the “Office of Civil Rights, Constitutional, and Anti-Discrimination Compliance.” 

Morgan’s proposal was initially dismissed by other Republicans who had concerns that creating such an office would be an unnecessary expanse of the state government. 

However, two days following debates on the House floor, Adam followed up on Twitter, informing his constituents about the state’s stance against DEI. 

“We … cut funding for Leftist programs like DEI,” he wrote. 

The past few days were long and hard, but the most rewarding since I’ve been in office. It was Budget Week, and my fellow @SCFreedomCaucus members and I spent many hours preparing to fight for fiscal responsibility.

We can truly say we left it all out on the field. pic.twitter.com/fNqy99n0rc

— Adam Morgan (@RepAdamMorgan) March 15, 2023

The debate over DEI follows news that the state’s colleges and universities have collectively spent “about $7.8 million” on DEI initiatives. 

[RELATED: Stanford students call for DEI dean to be ‘fired’ for disrupting judge’s speech]

That number comes from Rep. Morgan, according to The Chronicle, but has not been independently verified. 

It follows a trend, however, that DEI spending, until recently, has gone unchecked in most places.  

In January, for example, it was reported that the State University System of Florida spent $28 million on DEI initiatives, $15 million of which came from tax-payer funds.

South Carolina lawmakers may have sparked more investigations, however, as North Carolina’s public universities will now be required to account for its DEI training. 

In a letter to Assistant Vice President of State Government Relations of UNC System Eric Naisbitt, Derrick Welch, Director of Senate Majority Staff Government Operations requested an inventory list of UNC System’s DEI training programs, including “the training title, a brief description of the training topic, key learning objectives, estimated time to complete the training, date(s) or schedule(s) of administration, and whether the training is optional or required.”

Campus Reform continues to track DEI developments and contacted Morgan for comment. This article will be updated accordingly. 

Follow Jared Gould on Twitter.