BOISE — Draft legislation proposed last Thursday would ban certain general education courses, diversity training, bias reporting systems and general education courses at Idaho public universities and provide the Idaho attorney general with enforcement authority over university compliance. 

The six-page draft contains extensive definitions of what constitutes diversity, equity and inclusion ideology, including unconscious or implicit bias, antiracism, racial privilege, patriarchy and related concepts.

Sen. Ben Toews, R-Coeur d’Alene, who presented the draft, said it is to promote free speech on campuses.

“My goal is to work together with our higher education partners to move us in the right direction of guaranteeing freedom of speech and freedom of thought, which I believe we all desire to have on our college campuses,” Toews said last week.

The draft follows the Idaho State Board of Education’s December decision to ban DEI initiatives on university campuses, including closing centers that target services for women or students in minority populations.

Remy Boomer was one of roughly 700 students who commented on the state board's resolution, with around 80% of students opposing the decision. 

“The stripping of these services is so unthoughtful to student experiences,” the Idaho State University student said. “They help different kinds of students find their way. As a gay person, I definitely feel that. It's incredibly difficult to feel safe or supported at all by Idaho right now.”

Despite student opposition, anti-DEI legislation is likely to move forward this year. At a recent legislative preview event, House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, and Senate Majority Leader Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, named DEI as a top priority this session.

“The problem with DEI is that we started having people get treated different than others,” Moyle said. “We need a system where we’re all equal. And I think that's what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Diversity, equity and inclusion laws have origins tracing back to the 1960s Civil Rights movement following the introduction of equal employment laws, according to Notre Dame de Namur University. Today, many college campuses across the U.S. provide services targeted toward historically underrepresented communities.

There are currently 24 states that have introduced legislation to limit DEI.

The Idaho Legislature previously passed legislation banning the teaching of critical race theory, use of diversity statements in hiring and admissions, and the university’s budgets including intent language prohibiting funds from going toward DEI activities or staff members.