The Iowa Senate advanced a GOP proposal Friday to ban state entities – including cities and counties – from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion offices and staff.
The bill defines DEI as efforts to promote policies encouraging preferential treatment of people based on race, color or ethnicity.
Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Pella, supported the bill. He says he disagrees with another senator’s comments claiming the opposite of DEI is uniformity, inequity and exclusion.
“I would suggest that the opposite of DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – is MEI, merit, excellence and intelligence.”
Senators also voted to remove a section of the bill that would have prevented the state’s private colleges from having DEI offices.
The bill passed 34 to 16 and next heads back to the House.