Elimination of DEI in government and schools passes the NC House
North Carolina House Republicans on Wednesday approved a broad bill to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in state and local government.
“We’ve seen our institutions drift. We’ve watched government move away from excellence and toward agenda hiring, favoring narratives over qualifications, checking boxes instead of resumes,” said House Majority Leader Brenden Jones, the bill’s sponsor. “Bureaucracy has grown not to serve — but to sort.”
House Bill 171, which passed 68-45 along party lines, would ban state agencies and schools from using DEI in their hiring decisions or giving differential treatment or special benefits on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation and more. It would also ban government agencies from using state funds to support DEI programs or applying for federal grants that require compliance with DEI policies.
An earlier version of the bill was far more restrictive, applying to non-state entities and imposing criminal punishments for violations. The version passed Wednesday instead affects only government entities and includes civil penalties up to $10,000 for each violation.
Democrats railed against the bill, debating on the House floor for hours about the value of diversity and the potential consequences of restricting programs that promote it.
“There are a whole lot of people who some might think are ‘DEI hires,’... a whole lot of people who are qualified as the Dickens to hold their jobs,” House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said. “To look them in the faces and tell them ‘You’re less than, you don’t matter, we think your time is over’ — it breaks my heart.”
Jones defended the bill by noting that it does not affect academic instruction and protects cultural celebrations, such as Black History Month and Pride Month.
“Diversity is a great thing,” he said. “Discrimination is a bad thing.”
Rep. Amos Quick, a Guilford County Democrat, criticized this framing.
“The first line of this bill says, ‘An act eliminating diversity initiatives,’” he said. “You cannot value that which you are seeking to eliminate.”
Democrats oppose anti-DEI bills
Wednesday’s vote comes after House leaders previously delayed votes on the bill two days in a row earlier this month. Both times, Democrats had gathered to protest the legislation in the House gallery. House Speaker Destin Hall said at the time that the delay was due to one of the bill’s sponsors having an excused absence.
DEI has become a major focus for Republican leaders as President Donald Trump targets the initiatives nationwide. The state Senate has already passed two bills restricting DEI in K-12 schools and higher education.
But if Democrats remain united in opposing the bills, Republicans will likely be unable to enact them — even if they are vetoed by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein.
While Republicans have a veto-proof supermajority in the Senate, they are one seat short in the House. To override the governor’s veto, Republicans would have to get at least one Democrat to vote with them or exploit an absence on their side.
This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 4:58 PM.
