Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma signed an order Wednesday that does a lot of the same things that Governor Ron DeSantis did in May when he stopped public schools from using federal or state money for diversity programs.
While signing Executive Order 2023-31, Stitt went after Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in state agencies and higher education. The order was described in a statement as “implementing greater protections for Oklahomans and their tax dollars.”
“The order tells state agencies and higher education institutes to start reviewing DEI positions, departments, activities, procedures, and programs to get rid of and fire staff who aren’t necessary,” the statement said.
All of their money, land, and other resources will now be thrown away. A deadline of May 2024 was set by Stitt for “all the state agencies, including the universities,” to report back on how much they’re spending on DEI. The government needs to see that report again.
Stitt said, “Whatever they look like or how they identify, let’s just go help kids.” “People from all over the state have told me they’re sick of wasting our money on things that try to divide us,” he said. “Don’t try to treat people differently because of their race; use that money to educate kids instead.”
More rules are added by the order. For example, higher education institutions and state agencies can’t support or create diversity, equity, and inclusion roles, departments, activities, procedures, or programs “if they give preferential treatment based on one person’s particular race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over another’s.”
The order shuts down the University of Oklahoma’s offices for diversity, justice, and inclusion, the school said. KFOR reports that shortly after the news came out, University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz Jr. wrote to students that it “evokes deep concern and uncertainty about the future, and in many ways feels like a step backward.”
According to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, these kinds of programs only cost $10.2 million, or 0.3% of all the money spent on higher education. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed a bill in May of this year that said public colleges and universities couldn’t use state or government money for diversity and equality programs.
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