Week in Review: Down with DEI Mandates

Despite the national backlash to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), many universities across the country still require their employees to undergo trainings based on the divisive ideology. It’s time for that to end. That’s why the Goldwater Institute is going all the way to the Arizona Supreme Court to ask the justices to allow Arizona State University Professor Owen Anderson to challenge his school’s illegal DEI mandate.

ASU clearly violated state law when it required Owen to take its “Inclusive Communities” DEI training to keep his job, so he sued. Astonishingly, the appeals court concluded that the statute doesn’t allow an individual subjected to an unlawful training to challenge it in court. But if the law can’t be enforced, it’s essentially meaningless. In its petition to the Arizona Supreme Court, the Goldwater Institute argues that when a statute is designed to protect a specific class of people, it necessarily includes the ability of those people to enforce it.

Owen deserves his day in court, which is why the Goldwater Institute will continue to stand by him and against discriminatory DEI mandates.

Read more here.

Webinar: Getting Your Start in the Freedom Movement

Mark Twain once said that the “secret of getting ahead is getting started.” So it is with a meaningful career in the freedom movement. If you’re a recent graduate—or you know a student looking to make that important start—be sure to tune into the upcoming webinar exploring the Goldwater Institute’s Ronald Reagan Fellowship program.

Hosted by Goldwater staffers and Ronald Reagan Fellow alums Fiona Baum and Cameron Teel, the webinar will feature a conversation about career paths, mentorship, and hands-on experience through the Reagan Fellowship. Speakers will share how the fellowship shaped their professional journeys and opened doors to the freedom movement.

The webinar is scheduled for noon (Arizona time/ 2 p.m. Eastern) on February 26. Sign up now and learn how you or your loved one can start a long-term and impactful career in public policy and advocacy as a Goldwater Institute Reagan Fellow.

Read more here.

Goldwater Backs Universal Licensing for Lawyers

Lawyers don’t forget how to do their jobs when they move from one state to another. That’s why the Goldwater Institute is asking the Arizona Supreme Court to clear away the government-imposed hurdles that make it difficult for lawyers moving to the state to practice their profession and provide a service that is in short supply.

In 2019, Arizona passed Goldwater’s universal licensing law, which broke down barriers to work and now allows more than 10,000 people to practice their professions in the state. But the law didn’t apply to lawyers. Goldwater’s petition to the Arizona Supreme Court recommends four changes to make it easier for lawyers in “good standing” who are licensed to practice in other states to become licensed in Arizona.

Americans have a right under the U.S. Constitution to earn a living in their profession, free from burdensome government regulations. Under the Goldwater Institute’s proposed reform, Arizona can again lead the way by extending universal licensing to lawyers.

Read more here.