Gov. Spencer Cox is expected to sign a bill sent by state lawmakers to his desk Friday which will ban DEI practices in Utah.
On Friday, the bill passed 60-14 in a concurrence vote held by the Utah House of Representatives to approve amendments from the Senate. The bill passed in the Senate on Thursday almost a week after the House passed it.
Rep. Katy Hall, the bill’s sponsor, spoke prior to the House concurrence vote.
“The intent of this bill is that we treat everyone as an individual, taking into account all their circumstances, capabilities, opportunities and experiences with the goal of providing equal opportunities for everyone,” she said.
Under the bill, public institutions must maintain neutrality on political topics, and if found in violation, state funding could be withheld from those institutions.
“It is asking our state entities to provide an environment where everyone, if they work hard enough, and if they want, can succeed,” Hall said. “It will also provide an environment where civil discourse and a marketplace of ideas can flourish again on our university campuses.”