Diversity, equity and inclusion policy discussions have returned to Frankfort — setting the stage for the potential return of controversial DEI legislation in the next General Assembly.
At an Interim Education Committee meeting Tuesday, Chair Stephen West, R-Paris, said lawmakers wanted to learn more about current DEI policies at Kentucky's colleges and universities.
"We felt ... if this subject was going to be addressed again, that we should have all the information available to us," he said. "We should have a thorough understanding of what all of our postsecondary institutions are doing as it pertains to DEI."
During the 2024 legislative session, the Kentucky House and Senate both introduced versions of a "anti-DEI" bills that took aim at publicly funded institutions.
In the Senate, lawmakers proposed prohibiting state universities from requiring students or employees to endorse a specific ideology or viewpoint to receive admission, employment, promotions or graduation. In the House, lawmakers went further by proposing Kentucky's public colleges be required to dismantle all diversity, equity and inclusion programs and ban race-based scholarships.
Neither bill made it across the finish line because legislators lacked consensus.
On Tuesday, West said Education Committee staff sent an extensive list of questions related to DEI policy to various university representatives, who were asked to present information across two meetings.
Leaders with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, Morehead State University and Northern Kentucky University testified at the first meeting. A second meeting with other universities will take place in September.
Cady Short-Thompson, president of Northern Kentucky University, told committee members the university offers projects and activities to help students "from all walks of life" become successful.
Jay Morgan, president of Morehead State University, said since the school is a "predominantly a low-income serving institution," many resources are dedicated to low-income initiatives — though the university respects all people.
"We want our students and our faculty and visitors to feel like they have a sense of belonging on our campus, and we want to make sure our graduates are culturally competent when (they) graduate to enter the workforce," Morgan said.
Timothy K. Minella, a senior constitutionalism fellow at the Goldwater Institute and former University of Kentucky professor, took aim at the Council on Postsecondary Education during the meeting, saying the institute published a report that found the agency "misuses its power of oversight intended to promote equal educational opportunity" by "requiring postsecondary institutions to engage in DEI practices."
Democratic Sen. Gerald Neal, though, questioned the Goldwater Institute's report after Minella's presentation.
"There are so many gaps and so many misrepresentations in the last presentation, and it would take me half a day to go through this in any intelligent way to make any sense of what I've just heard," he said.
Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at @hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.
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