JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two Jacksonville State lawmakers are taking aim at local DEI efforts, filing legislation prohibiting any ordinances, rules, programs and policies that relate to diversity, equity and inclusion.
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The battle over DEI pit Jacksonville’s city council against Mayor Donna Deegan soon after she took office when she created the position of Chief of Diversity and Inclusion within her administration.
Council ultimately defunded it, and this year the mayor reconfigured the position into the Chief of Analytics.
Even still, the battle has now moved into the halls of the State Capitol.
State Representative Dean Black (R-Yulee) and State Senator Clay Yarbrough (R-Jacksonville) filed bills in the House and Senate that would prohibit local officials from imposing any ordinance, regulation, rule or programs related to DEI.
“Anywhere that you’re engaged in ideological extremism of this type, where you’re dividing people, that needs to stop,” said Black.
Under the bill, citizens could sue for damages if they believe a policy put them at a disadvantage and local officials who vote for DEI policies would be guilty of malfeasance and could be removed from office.
“I honestly regret that we’re spending so much time on this conversation. I think that it’s sort of become a boogeyman conversation,” said Deegan.
Mayor Deegan argued it’s not clear how far-reaching the bill’s impact would be and suggested it could even capture things like the city’s Human Rights Commission and programs meant to help people with disabilities.
“Because they are technically DEI also. So, there’s all sorts of things you really have to look at when you’re looking at all of this and I don’t know how that’s going to affect all those things,” said Deegan.
We asked Black what specific policies the legislation is aimed at preventing.
He indicated it’s a question that would have to play out on a case-by-case basis.
“If you’re engaged in promoting DEI, what we commonly refer to as that, well you’re probably going to run afoul of this statute,” said Black.
The bill still has a long way to go.
It’s not yet been referenced to committees in the Senate.
Action News Jax will continue to follow the bill’s progress during this legislative session.
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