Arizona lawmakers just greenlit the strongest protections against race-based discrimination and “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) of any state in the nation, sending a major new state constitutional amendment to the ballot in November.
Sponsored by Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro, this Goldwater Institute measure passed both chambers of the Arizona legislature. It now heads to the November ballot where, if approved by the voters, it will enshrine permanent protections against racially discriminatory DEI practices and programming throughout all state institutions, including K-12 schools and universities.
This measure will close an existing loophole in the state constitution that allows the federal government to push Arizona institutions to adopt race-based discrimination under the guise of “affirmative action.” It will permanently shut down DEI offices and trainings throughout state government, while also prohibiting the use of “diversity statements” designed to screen out job applicants who refuse to endorse DEI.
Not only that, it will prohibit public educational institutions from requiring students to take DEI courses in order to graduate. This is especially critical, as recent Goldwater Institute reports have uncovered practices across our state universities mandating students to take courses steeped in DEI simply to graduate, or to graduate with honors.
Critically, this measure does not depend on the labels or euphemisms that DEI advocates employ to rebrand their discriminatory ideology.
Once passed by voters this fall, the measure will ensure that race-based discrimination is never again used to distort the equal opportunity of Arizonans, regardless of who sits in the White House or on the U.S. Supreme Court.
