Republicans Deliver Bill To Kill DEI In Cities, Counties To Desantis

 One of the most contentious pieces of legislation this session — one that would ban local governments from supporting parades, festivals and other activities promoting diversity, equality and inclusion — is headed to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“Florida is where DEI goes to DIE,” declared Rep. Dean Black, the Jacksonville Republican who pushed the GOP-backed bill through the House Tuesday, which voted in favor 77 to 37 a week after the Senate approved the bill 25 to 11.

The vote broke down mostly along party lines, with a handful of Republicans breaking with their colleagues to vote with Democrats against the bill, including Rep. Paula Stark of St. Cloud and Rep. Hillary Cassel of Hollywood.

DeSantis has been a driving force behind the move to dismantle DEI policies in Florida for the last several years, including bans on such efforts at the state’s universities and agencies.

If he signs it into law as expected, it would take effect next January.

Democrats argued the bill was so broadly written it could impact city-sponsored St. Patrick’s Day parades, Chinese New Year’s events and annual Pride events celebrating the LGBTQ community.

The bill was hotly debated for several hours in both chambers during the waning days of the regular 60-day session that is scheduled to end Friday, with the debate framed as a battle between bureaucratic-enforced equality and democratic, merit-based hiring and promotion.

The bill’s language is intentionally vague, overly broad and potentially unconstitutional, and the unintended consequences could be far-reaching and unpredictable, like preempting local governments from doing many things they currently support, said Rep. RaShon Young, D-Orlando.

“This bill uses a sledgehammer where a scalpel will do,” said Rep. Rita Harris, D-Orlando.

Orlando, Orange County and other local governments have sponsored and promoted events celebrating diversity and Pride over the years, and Democrats said the millions of dollars in revenue from those events would disappear.

Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, tried to get an amendment through that would allow local tourist development dollars to be used to fund Pride events, but it was rejected.

Democrats said they were especially troubled that the bill would allow the governor to remove local elected officials and public administrators from office for malfeasance or misfeasance if they violate the bill’s provisions — but the actions that would constitute those terms are not defined in the bill.

The bill also clears a path for people to sue local governments for using tax dollars to support DEI initiatives.

Republicans described the bill as the last nail in the coffin for a policy they view as giving unfair advantage to unqualified people based on race or gender.

The bill defines DEI as any effort to “manipulate or otherwise influence the composition of employees with reference to race, color, sex, ethnicity, gender, identity, or sexual orientation other than to ensure that hiring is conducted in accordance with state and federal antidiscrimination laws.”

Democrats attempted several times to pass amendments to protect the autonomy of local governments from the bill’s directives.

“This is insane,” said Rep. Christine Hunchofsky, D-Parkland, adding she tried unsuccessfully to get answers from the bill’s sponsor in committee.

The way the bill is written “you can’t have a proclamation for Jamaican Independence Day or you could be removed from office. It could mean that you couldn’t have Women’s History Month or Women’s Equality Day or Diwali or Chinese New Year or Easter,” Hunchofsky said.

Miami Rep. Ashley Gantt tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill so local officials have a better understanding of what they can and cannot do.

“Local leaders are our colleagues, not our enemies,” Gantt said.

Black, however, said the bill creates a democratic process for determining what could be allowed under the law and carves out exceptions for many of the events and programs Democrats worried could be canceled once the bill becomes law.

Nearly shouting at one point, Black said the bill creates many exceptions requested by “the people sitting in the back row,” referring to the minority party which traditionally sits in the back of the chamber.

The bill also makes clear that any event, memorial or holiday already in statute or federal law would be exempt. That includes the planned Pulse Memorial, which was declared a national memorial in 2021 and is being built with federal dollars, said Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, the sponsor of the Senate bill.

Opponents said the bill would usurp the ability of local governments to approve and fund policies that their citizens want and would create a new path to discriminate and silence minorities.

“The bill is an insult, and it’s not about stopping hate,” said Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville.