When he took office in January, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued an executive order eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion in state government. Last week, he signed a bill making that order the law in his state.
“I pledged to root out DEI,” Morrisey said at a ceremonial bill signing. “Now I can report to you that we are following through with that promise and that’s a wonderful reason to be here today. DEI is dead in the Mountain State.”
With President Donald Trump leading the charge, diversity initiatives have emerged as a new front in the nation’s culture wars. Now Republican-led states are joining the fight.
While most anti-DEI bills target higher education, 25 states from Louisiana to South Carolina are considering 101 measures that would limit DEI in state and local governments and other publicly funded institutions, according to Bill Kramer, vice president and counsel of state and local government relations firm MultiState.
In response, blue states are rolling out bills defending DEI.
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So far this year, nine states have enacted anti-DEI laws and nine more have passed a bill through at least one chamber. Just this week Iowa sent legislation barring DEI activities and offices to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds for her signature.
The aim of state legislation mirrors the president’s agenda, to throttle DEI across the public sector and increase pressure on the private sector.
In April, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican, signed a bill banning DEI offices, officers, policies or practices in local government.
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Last week Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, signed an “unlawful discrimination” bill prohibiting public institutions from taking actions based on an individual’s identity such as race or religion. Braun signed an executive order in January banning DEI initiatives in state government.
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The momentum of these bills in red states is unlikely to slow, according to Republican pollster Whit Ayres.
“The top four reasons people voted for Trump were to bring down inflation, juice the economy, stop illegal immigration and to get away from woke culture,” said Ayres, president of North Star Opinion Research.
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Last week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed into law the “Dismantling DEI Departments Act” banning DEI offices and departments in the Tennessee government.
Also on the governor’s desk is the “Dismantle DEI Act.” If signed, it would bar state and local governments, public colleges, and school systems from considering race, sex or other demographic characteristics in employment decisions.
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In blue states, pro-DEI legislation is also on the rise. Of the 426 DEI bills tracked by American Pride Rises so far in 2025, 221 favor DEI and 205 oppose it.
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The post Why Red States Are Enlisting in Trump’s War on ‘Woke’ appeared first on American Renaissance.
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