On Tuesday, Utah’s governor, Spencer Cox, a Republican who had expressed prior support for the concept, signed into law a bill that joins the state in prohibiting diversity training, hiring, and inclusion programs at universities and within state government.
The legislation, which had received broad, party-line support in both the state House and Senate, marks Utah’s latest move restricting initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Governor Cox, approaching the final year of his first term, has shifted towards conservative positions on these issues. In 2022, he vetoed a bill banning transgender students from participating in girls’ sports. In 2023, he signed a law regulating discussions on race and religion in public schools, prohibiting teachings suggesting anyone can be racist based solely on their race.
Additionally, Cox signed a separate law on Tuesday mandating that individuals use bathrooms and locker rooms in public schools and government-owned buildings corresponding to the sex assigned at birth. The governor had previously criticized the requirement for employees to endorse workplace and campus DEI through signed statements, referring to it as “awful, bordering on evil.”
Cox stated, “We’ve been concerned about some DEI programs and policies, particularly with hiring practices, and this bill offers a balanced solution.”
Under the new law, universities and government entities are barred from establishing dedicated offices to promote diversity and cannot mandate employees to submit statements supporting DEI. Republican Keith Grover, the bill’s sponsor in the state Senate, emphasized that it ensures academic freedom on university campuses.
The Democrats in the state Senate, all of whom voted against the bill, cited statistics indicating significant disparities in minority enrollment compared to white students in colleges and universities. So far this year, Republican lawmakers in at least 17 states have introduced approximately three dozen bills to restrict or demand public disclosure of DEI initiatives, according to an Associated Press analysis utilizing bill-tracking software Plural.