Kentucky lawmaker says he wants to renew efforts targeting DEI initiatives on college campuses

A Republican lawmaker has signaled plans to mount another effort to limit diversity, equity and inclusion practices at Kentucky’s public universities after GOP supermajorities failed to resolve differences on the issue during the recently ended legislative session.

Kentucky lawmakers will convene again in January, and state Sen. Mike Wilson said he hopes lawmakers use the coming months to craft another version of DEI legislation for the 30-day session in 2025.

“It’ll be something that we’ll work on in the interim and hopefully come to some sort of agreement with the House,” Wilson said Tuesday during a news conference featuring Senate Republican leaders.

Debates around DEI efforts on college campuses have played out in statehouses across the country this year. Republicans in at least 20 states have sought to limit such initiatives, claiming they are discriminatory and enforce a liberal orthodoxy. Alabama and Utah enacted anti-DEI laws this year, and a ban enacted in Texas last year has led to more than 100 job cuts on University of Texas campuses.

In Kentucky, the issue generated contentious debates when the Senate and House passed different versions of anti-DEI bills. Opponents warned that proposed restrictions on campuses could roll back gains in minority enrollments and stifle campus discussions about past discrimination.

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