Defunding wokeness at Texas universities
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, protecting our tax dollars from fraud, waste, and abuse is one of my top priorities. I’m excited to share that the committee voted in favor of my budget directive, called a rider, to prohibit the use of taxpayer funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices at public colleges and universities.
True diversity of outlook, experience, and opinion — not simply skin color — is part of what makes Texas and our nation strong. But woke DEI policies flatten students, faculty, and staff down to their demographics. They exploit seemingly inclusive language to divide instead of unite — encouraging young Texans to treat each other differently based on the color of their skin or their sexual preferences instead of their character and qualifications. My conservative colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee agreed, this is not the future we want for Texas. My rider was adopted on a party line vote 16-10.
I’m grateful for the Appropriation Committee’s support of this budget rider and will continue fighting to protect our tax dollars from political agendas. I also plan to support a similar initiative to stop DEI programs at K-12 public schools.
The bill filing deadline has passed, and I wanted to highlight a few pieces of legislation I look forward to pursuing in the coming months:
Two bills to protect our Second Amendment rights
Two bills to reduce property taxes without compromising school funding
Three campus safety bill to protect our students
Two bills to protect Texas from foreign adversaries
A bill to allow the attorney general authority to prosecute voter fraud
I’ll share more about these and other bills as session unfolds. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve and look forward to an even brighter future for the Lone Star State!