Judgement Day for DEI? Voters Should Decide

Arizona lawmakers are teaming up with voters to abolish state-sponsored race-based discrimination, but some proponents of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) aren’t on board.

This week, the Arizona Senate passed a new measure to amend the state constitution to strengthen a ban on racial discrimination in hiring, contracting, and employment in public institutions and ensure no candidate is forced to endorse the tenets of discriminatory ideologies to earn or hold a job. With identical language having already passed the Arizona House of Representatives, this measure needs just a final vote before it can be sent to voters on the November 2024 ballot—giving them a chance to enshrine the strongest state constitutional protections against racial discrimination and DEI in the nation.

As the measure’s prime sponsor in the House, Rep. Steve Montenegro declared at a committee hearing this past week:

“Discriminating against somebody or giving preferential treatment to one person because of their race versus someone else because of their race is never OK … I think that’s something that if I asked out loud everyone would agree with. Well, hopefully.”

Read the rest of the op-ed at Arizona Capitol Times.

Matt Beienburg is the Director of Education Policy at the Goldwater Institute. He also serves as director of the institute’s Van Sittert Center for Constitutional Advocacy.