Anti-DEI Legislation Will Eliminate Wasteful Spending in Higher Education
Rep. Marianne Proctor (District 60)
Earlier this year, the Kentucky General Assembly passed HB 4, legislation that will eliminate discriminatory and harmful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) spending in higher education institutions across Kentucky. DEI initiatives resulted in unconstitutional and ineffective practices on college campuses that have cost Kentuckians millions of dollars. This legislation gives our students an equal opportunity to earn postsecondary credentials and further support our low-income, first-generation, and veteran students.
This legislation intends to restore fiscal discipline and uphold constitutional fairness in higher education. In the face of rising administrative costs and declining enrollment, especially among low-income and minority students, eliminating DEI policies is a vital step in combating these issues. After all, they have had no measurable success yet diverted limited resources away from core academic missions and burdened taxpayers unnecessarily.
For more than a decade DEI programs have proliferated in Kentucky’s public universities under the premise of promoting inclusion and equity. In practice, however, they have created rigid bureaucracies that enforce ideological conformity, encourage differential treatment based on race or identity, and impose costly trainings and programs that have yielded little measurable benefit.
Under the bill, a comprehensive overhaul of higher education DEI programs will mandate the closure of DEI office and ban public universities from allocating any funds to DEI efforts, or any practice that prioritizes race, gender, and identity over academic merit. Public universities can no longer require mandatory DEI trainings or courses that promote differential treatment based on protected characteristics or compel any individual, student or employee, to make specific social or political statements.
There are clear exceptions outlined in the bill for privately funded and distributed scholarships, student-led organizations, and religious accommodations. Academic freedom and religious freedom are clearly protected, as well as activities, programs, and initiatives for military veterans, first-generation, and low-income students.
Kentucky deserves institutions that reflect their values, uphold the Constitution, and deliver on the promise of opportunity through education. The reality is that DEI policies, despite their stated intentions, have become exclusionary in practice. They too often prioritize viewpoint alignment over merit, favor identity-based selection over individual achievement, and impose uniform narratives on complex social issues. These practices undermine both academic excellence and the student experience, particularly for those who may disagree.
The legislation does not ban conversations about race, history, or inequality. It ensures that these discussions occur within the bounds of academic freedom and are not mandated or filtered through a state-funded ideological lens. Faculty are free to teach, research, and explore complex topics. This bill prevents the institutional enforcement of a single ideology and differential treatment in our universities.
DEI spending has not only escalated costs but also failed to produce intended diversity outcomes. These programs have been complicit in undermining accessibility rather than promoting it. This legislation targets unconstitutional activities that promote discrimination and differential treatment on college campuses and fragment campus unity.
HB 4 represents our unwavering commitment to restoring trust and integrity within Kentucky’s higher education institutions. By eliminating politically driven programs that have strayed from the core mission of education, and redirecting valuable resources back into the hands of students and into our classrooms, we are laying the foundation for a more affordable, transparent, and inclusive education.
As the provisions of this law begin to take effect, I remain deeply committed to closely monitoring its implementation and ensuring that it delivers on its intended goals. Kentucky students deserve nothing less than access to high quality education that is firmly rooted in fairness, grounded in academic merit, and protected by the principles of our Constitution. These are not just ideals; they are the pillars of a system that works for everyone.
We will continue to stand by these values, defend them vigorously, and pursue meaningful reforms that make higher education more effective, more affordable, and more focused on real opportunity, not political agendas. Through HB 4 and beyond, we are charting a better course for Kentucky’s future, one that empowers our students and restores confidence in our educational system.