CV NEWS FEED // Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey Wednesday signed a bill that seeks to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices in public colleges, universities, and state-run agencies.
In addition, the new state law will also prevent men from entering women’s bathrooms in Alabama’s public colleges.
The legislation is set to go into effect October 1.
The text of SB 129 states that it will “prohibit certain public entities from maintaining [DEI] offices and from sponsoring” DEI programs, “provide prohibitions on the promotion, endorsement, and affirmation of certain divisive concepts in certain public settings,” and “require public institutions of higher education to designate restrooms on the basis of biological sex.”
“Each public institution of higher education shall ensure that every multiple occupancy restroom be designated for use by individuals based on their biological sex,” the bill’s text clarifies later on.
State Sen. Will Barfoot, R-AL, sponsored SB 129.
Ivey stated after signing the bill: “I refuse to allow a few bad actors on college campuses – or wherever else for that matter – to go under the acronym of DEI, using taxpayer funds, to push their liberal political movement counter to what the majority of Alabamians believe.”
The governor said she was “pleased to sign” SB 129 “to protect [Alabama’s] college campuses,” and the state “has already taken action to prevent this in our K-12 classrooms.”
“Supporting academic freedom, embracing diversity of cultures and backgrounds and treating people fairly are all key components of what we believe in Alabama, and I am more than confident that will continue,” she added.
The Alabama House of Representatives passed the bill in a 75-28 party-line vote two weeks ago. The state Senate approved the legislation as passed by the House by a 25-4 margin Tuesday – one day before Ivey signed it into law.
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AL.com reported that with the bill’s signing, “Alabama joins Florida and Texas in enacting the wide-ranging legislation, which asks for sweeping changes or cancellations to state agencies and public colleges that currently fund DEI offices and programming.”
“It is not clear yet whether the law will force some state colleges, which support a combined $16 million in diversity spending, to lay off staff,” AL.com noted.
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Conservative scholar Christopher Rufo praised the law on X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday evening.
“WINNING,” wrote Rufo, who is widely known for his advocacy against critical race theory (CRT) and DEI initiatives. “State by state, we are dismantling the ideology of left-wing racialism and replacing it with the principle of colorblind equality.”
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