House Education Committee approves bill that takes aim at DEI

CASPER — The House Education Committee on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill that seeks to prohibit “institutional discrimination” in Wyoming. 

The bill sponsored by Rep Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, makes up one of the five pieces of legislation that the Freedom Caucus vowed to pass in the first ten days of the session — coined the Five and Dime Plan. 

The Legislature in 2024 applied pressure to the University of Wyoming to stop diversity, equity or inclusion programming by cutting $1.73 million from the schools budget and stating that no state dollars are to be spent on its DEI office. The university in May announced that it would close its DEI office and change its employment practices. 

HB 147 seeks to ban governmental entities — which includes the University of Wyoming, community colleges and all school districts — from engaging in any DEI programming, activity or policy. 

The bill further states that the entities cannot engage in institutional discrimination or require attendance to DEI programs or training. 

“This bill restores our state government to the colorblind approach that the Constitution intends — that morality dictates and that our national community requires,” Rodriguez-Williams said. 

The bill received plenty of public comment ahead of the committee voting on the bill. 

Executive Director at Wyoming School Boards Association Brian Farmer spoke in opposition of the bill, citing concerns over wording that would have prohibited engaging in or requiring instruction in institutional discrimination. 

“What that means is I can’t talk about Brown vs. Board of Education in a class. I can’t provide instructional education on a topic that says that a person should not be discriminated against because of their race,” Farmer said. 

An amendment was added to clarify that the bill does not prohibit discussions during instruction. 

Rep. Daniel Singh, R-Cheyenne, who proposed the amendment, said that the amendment would ensure educators have the ability to talk about controversial topics. Committee member and Rep. Tom Kelly, R-Sheridan, said it was a relief to know the bill would not prohibit discussions on the matter. 

“I just want to say that’s a relief. As an educator myself and college professor — I would not want the state telling me what I can and cannot talk about in the classroom,” he said. 

Other public testimony focused on how regardless of the final language, the bill would still curb instruction of certain subjects. 

“This bill does risk creating a chilling effect in classrooms. Educators may avoid teaching difficult subjects altogether for fear of violating law. Discussions about racism, antisemitism, other forms of oppression, may be watered down or eliminated,” Wyoming Student Sophia Gomelsky testified. 

Laramie County Moms for Liberty Chair Patricia McCoy testified in favor of the bill and said that history can be taught without pushing ideologies. 

“You can teach the history of slavery without saying it was the result of white supremacy … you can do it without making people the aggressor or the oppressor in certain situations and have those conversations without pushing certain ideologies,” she said.

“My daughter-in-law is a person of color, and I love having conversations with her about her viewpoint and her experiences in our city that she has to go through as a person of color. But it doesn’t make me her oppressor.”