Pasco Reporter

Earlier today, Representatives Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Laurel Lee (FL-15), and Jim Baird (IN-04) introduced the Eliminate DEI in Colleges Act. This legislation, modeled after a recently enacted Florida law, seeks to prohibit colleges and universities receiving federal funding from engaging in school-sponsored Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) events, programs, and activities.

According to the bill's proponents, higher education institutions have deviated from their core mission of educating future generations and equipping students with essential skills for success in society and the workforce. They argue that these institutions have become centers for groupthink and indoctrination rather than fostering independent thought and critical thinking. There have been reports of prospective faculty being subjected to tests of loyalty to specific worldviews, with an expectation that DEI initiatives be integrated into all aspects of instruction.

"By nationalizing Florida’s law, we can ensure that students around the country have access to a high-quality education without facing indoctrination or having woke ideology thrust upon them," said Congressman Bilirakis. "All students will still be able to exercise their First Amendment rights on campus, but their institutions will no longer be allowed to force their leadership’s views upon students and faculty. Additionally, American taxpayers will not be forced to support ideologies that are out-of-line with their values and belief systems."

Rep. Baird added: "Students come to Indiana’s world-renowned institutions of higher education to broaden their horizons, not narrow them. Our students should be able to learn from as many ideologically different viewpoints as possible without university leadership forcing one worldview on them. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs routinely fail to promote diversity of thought, equity in debate, and inclusion of differing viewpoints. I am proud to help lead the Eliminate DEI in Colleges Act because our students deserve the best education possible."