The Democratic governor of North Carolina vetoed two bills passed by the Republican-led convention that passed the goal of legislators called “Diverity, Equity, and Inclusion.” “Discriminatory practices”; and “schizophrenia concepts” in public higher education.
Senate Bill 558 will prohibit institutions from having offices that “promote discriminatory practices or split concepts” or focus on DEI. The bill defines “discriminatory practice” as “treatment of individuals differently [based on their protected federal law classification] Compared to other individuals or groups, the individual is for advantage or disadvantage only. ”
SB 558’s list of restrictive split concepts reflects a list of Republicans inserting laws in other states, including “elite rule is inherently racist or gender-discriminatory” or “the rule of law does not exist.” The legislation would prohibit universities from accrediting these concepts.
The bill would also prohibit agencies from establishing “procedures to report or investigate offensives or unnecessary speeches subject to the First Amendment (including satirical or marked as micro-attack).
“Diversity is our strength. We should not whitewash history, police dormitory dialogue or ban books. Instead of worrying about different perspectives and fighting freedom of speech on freedom of speech, we should make sure our students learn from a diverse perspective and form their own opinions.”
Stein also vetoed Bill 171, which would have DEI widespread ban on access to state governments. It defines DEI in a variety of ways, including promoting “differential treatment for individuals that provide individuals with special benefits based on race, gender, color, race, nationality, country of origin or sexual orientation.”
“House Bill 171 is full of vague definitions, but extreme penalties are imposed due to agnostic violations,” Stein wrote in his HB 171 veto message. NC News Line The report said lawmakers may still cover the veto.
