GOP Kentucky House votes to defund diversity, equity and inclusion offices at public universities

By BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky House has voted to defund diversity, equity and inclusion offices at public universities. The Friday vote came after an impassioned debate. A Republican lawmaker dismissed DEI efforts as a failure. Democrats defended them as pillars of support for students from underrepresented groups. The overhauled bill goes back to the Senate, which passed a much different version. House members stripped away the Senate’s language and inserted a replacement that takes a tougher stand on DEI initiatives at public universities. The Senate will decide in coming days whether to accept the new version. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers.