Black NC lawmakers blast Republican effort to ban DEI in state government
Black North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday blasted a Republican bill seeking to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives throughout state and local governments, with one senator saying the proposal could “impeach me from office because I’m Black.”
“If I’m teaching anybody about how I grew up, what I learned in life — as far as me and my ancestors — I can be impeached,” Sen. Kandie Smith, a Greenville Democrat who chairs the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus, said at a news conference.
House Bill 171 would prohibit all state agencies from implementing or supporting DEI programs, policies or initiatives and includes criminal penalties for those who knowingly violate the ban.
It also says that elected officials may be impeached for failing to comply with the ban.
The bill is sponsored by House Majority Leader Brenden Jones, a sign it may move quickly through the legislature.
“Taxpayer dollars should fund merit, not woke agendas and identity politics,” Jones, a Tabor City Republican, said on social media last week. “This bill upholds equal opportunity and ensures employment and contracts are based on qualifications, not quotas.”
Jones did not respond to a request for comment about the bill’s impeachment provisions.
DEI and merit
At Thursday’s press conference, lawmakers rejected the idea that eliminating DEI is good for meritocracy.
“If you want a true equal society based on who the best person is, then you need to have inclusive policies, you need to have diversified policies,” Sen. Caleb Theodros, a Charlotte Democrat, said.
Rep. Allen Buansi, a Chapel Hill Democrat, suggested anti-DEI efforts were a smokescreen to distract from issues like higher costs and massive cuts to the federal workforce.
“To put it plainly, people and families right now are hurting in North Carolina,” he said. “These attacks that my colleagues have called out are just a ruse and a mask for efforts to cut jobs and to freeze or cut federal funding for critical research and programming that saves lives.”
House Speaker Destin Hall told reporters on Wednesday that he supports efforts to limit DEI and said the House has “a chance to get it across the finish line.”
But while Republicans hold commanding majorities in both chambers of the legislature, HB 171 could still face challenges.
In November, Republicans lost their supermajority in the House by one seat — stripping them of their power to unilaterally override the governor’s veto.
If Democratic Gov. Josh Stein vetoes the bill, Republicans would need to recruit at least one Democrat to vote with them to override the veto.
Rep. Garland Pierce, a Scotland County Democrat who has at times voted with Republicans on social issues, said “there’s no way Democrats could break on a bill like this.”
But, even if Democrats are united in opposing the bill, they have to show up to vote.
A supermajority is determined by the members present in the chamber — not the overall number of lawmakers. If Democrats miss a vote, Republicans could exploit their absences to override a veto — as happened in 2023 during a vote on a gun rights bill.
HB 171 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday at 1 p.m.
This story was originally published February 27, 2025 at 1:20 PM.
