(The Center Square) – The Missouri Senate's Republican president stated Friday that an amendment in all budget bills passed by the House would result in billions of taxpayer dollars withheld from a wide range of entities.
In a post on social media, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said forced adherence to positions on diversity, equity and inclusion as a condition of employment or admission to an educational institution is “short-sighted and contrary to the very values DEI advocates say they wish to advance.” He also said the amendment's language needs to be addressed.
“… the DEI language passed by the House today within our state’s operating budget, while well intentioned, is overly broad and would result in billions of dollars in cuts to hospitals, health care facilities, colleges and universities, and the Missouri House of Representatives itself,” Rowden said. “My office will be working with the Governor and other interested parties to find language that will incentivize institutions within this state to encourage environments of merit, fairness and equality that will truly benefit the people of this great state and unite us behind a forward-facing set of ideals motivated by common sense and not by identity politics.”
On Thursday, the House spent almost five hours passing the 15 budget bills with approximately $48 billion in spending. Each had an amendment prohibiting the state to allocate funds or do business with entities embracing DEI.
“We’re holding the line to prevent the woke, divisive, Marxist, DEI agenda from being paid for by MO taxpayer $’s and spreading throughout state bureaucracy,” amendment sponsor Rep. Doug Richey, R-Excelsior Springs, posted on social media on Thursday. “We don’t need what DEI actually is… Division, Estrangement, Intolerance.”
Richey reposted Rowden’s statement with the comment, “A conversation that is ongoing … I am more than interested in working toward a final version.”
Democrats spent hours during Thursday’s debate telling stories of racism, discrimination and hatred they’ve encountered during their lifetimes and while members of the House.
During a press briefing after the session, Rep. Marlene Terry, D-St. Louis, and leader of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus, said the amendment is disgraceful and hurtful.
“I do believe if these things are allowed to happen, we're going right back to the Jim Crow laws,” said Terry, referring to regulations forcing segregation. “Next week, we'll probably have something on the water fountains that says whites only.”
House Republicans didn’t hold a press briefing on Thursday.
Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, expressed frustration with the “asinine amendment” and addressed the notion the Republicans “trapped” Democrats on an issue to divert attention from other areas.
“There are so many things that folks ask us to do and instead we are spending hours talking about these divisive concepts that the Republicans just run with to win their elections,” Quade said. “That's all that happens in this building, it’s the next political election and I'm tired of it.”
Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, and the ranking minority member on the budget committee, said Richey’s amendment could defund a multitude of state agencies and vendors.
“We're talking about every business in the state,” Merideth said. “We won't even have Coke in our vending machines because I assure you Coca-Cola has diversity, equity, inclusion in their mission. We wouldn't be able to have our lights on because Ameren has diversity, equity, inclusion in their mission and staff associated with it. It's absolutely bonkers.”
