Florida bill targeting "diversity, equity, or inclusion" on college campuses advances to state Senate

The Florida state House this week advanced a bill that would ban state colleges and universities from using funds to "promote, support, or maintain any programs or campus activities that espouse diversity, equity, or inclusion [DEI] or Critical Race Theory rhetoric." The bill would also give the state's board of governors the ability to remove "any major or minor that is based on or otherwise utilizes pedagogical methodology associated with Critical Theory."

The bill, H.B. 999, was passed by the House on Monday and the Florida state Senate must now pass its version of the bill, S.B. 266, before it is able to head to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' desk.

Opponents of the bill worry that its language is too vague, and could be used to ban activities promoted by multicultural student unions, Black fraternities and sororities, and courses in Jewish history, women's studies and LGBTQ+ studies.