Legislation to Withhold State Funding from Colleges Teaching DEI Courses Passes Education Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Legislation to Withhold State Funding from Colleges Teaching DEI Courses Passes Education Committee

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Senate Republicans are restoring academic excellence in higher education by working to end courses that teach Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideologies. Colleges refusing to comply with state law will no longer receive state funding, according to a bill that passed out of the Senate Education Committee today.

The purpose of higher education is to promote critical thinking and merit-based opportunities, not pushing radical political agendas. Arizona students deserve better than to be subjected to divisive anti-American rhetoric disguised as education. SB 1694, sponsored by Chairman David Farnsworth, raises the bar in college education by withholding state funding from higher learning institutions who continue to teach discriminatory DEI courses to students.

Chairman Farnsworth experienced the current state of DEI education in Arizona firsthand during a course he took at a local community college. In reviewing the course material, Chairman Farnsworth found troubling and discriminatory content. One of the most alarming aspects he encountered was the course's refusal to use the term "American," deeming it "not inclusive." The course's material went as far as to admit that educators must develop and implement plans to protect individuals they claim are targeted by "white supremacy hate groups, run by white nationalists."

SB 1694 is a crucial step towards restoring academic integrity and ensuring taxpayer dollars are not spent on courses that perpetuate division. As this legislation moves forward, Senate Republicans are hopeful this will serve as a catalyst for broader reforms in higher education that prioritize the values of inclusivity, unity, and respect for all Americans.

"The course provided by the local community college represents the very ideology that is dividing America, teaching students to view white American men through a lens of privilege and oppression," said Senator Farnsworth. "Education focusing on gender fluidity is not education, it is indoctrination. I expect this legislation to be a landmark step towards reforming higher education and prioritizing students' academic futures over political agendas."

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov