Indiana Senate approves bill to ban diversity, equity and inclusion in state government, schools

The Indiana Senate approved a bill Thursday to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in state government and public schools.

Proponents said SB 289 will ensure government treats everyone equally. Critics said it’s designed to instill fear and will undo generations of progress.

The legislation — a combination of two bills advanced by a Senate committee — says that state agencies may not give preferential treatment to anyone based on race, sex, color or ethnicity. It also requires state and local governments and schools to publish online all training, instructional and curricular materials that involve nondiscrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion, race, ethnicity, sex or bias.

Sen. Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville) is the bill’s author.

“This bill prohibits state agencies from having DEI offices or staff who promote discriminatory treatment,” Byrne said.

READ MORE: Indiana Black Caucus said Braun's DEI order sends message that Indiana doesn't care about fairness

Sen. LaKeisha Jackson (D-Indianapolis) said DEI’s true purpose is removing barriers to help people reach their full potential.

“Eliminating DEI means turning a blind eye to these disparities,” Jackson said. “It means pretending that biases does not exist.”

The legislation also bans schools from promoting stereotypes. It does allow teaching or discussion of how stereotypes have been wrongly used to discriminate and data or studies that “reveal disparities” between different groups.
 

Join the conversation and sign up for our weekly text group: the Indiana Two-Way. Your comments and questions help us find the answers you need on statewide issues, including our project Civically, Indiana and our 2025 bill tracker.
 

Some Republicans, along with several Democrats, voiced concerns that the bill would jeopardize Indiana scholarships for minority students, including one aimed at getting more people of color into teaching. Republican proponents of the bill insist it will not.

The Senate approved the bill by a 34 to 13 vote. Four Republicans — Sen. Ron Alting (R-Lafayette), Sen. Eric Bassler (R-Washington), Sen. Greg Goode (R-Terre Haute) and Sen. Greg Walker (R-Columbus) joined with Democrats in opposition.

The measure now heads to the House.

After three hours of debate, the final vote on the bill was delayed after Democrats objected to social media posts made by Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith while Beckwith was presiding over the Senate.

One such post, posted on Beckwith's campaign account long before debate on the bill finished, celebrated its passage over "forced ideological brainwashing" and "woke bureaucrats peddling division."

Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) sharply criticized the post, calling it unbecoming of an elected official.

Yoder also questioned whether, because they were posted on a campaign account, the posts were a violation of the federal Hatch Act — which prohibits state employees who oversee federally-funded programs from engaging in certain political activities.
 

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.