Indiana Governor Orders Elimination of State Government DEI Initiatives

It didn’t take new Indiana Governor Mike Braun long to do away with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the state’s government.

Braun signed 19 executive orders within 48 hours of being sworn in as the new governor of Indiana on Monday, Jan. 13.

With one of those orders, Braun shuttered the Office of the Chief Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity Officer within the governor’s office. The Jan. 14 directive also decreed that all of Indiana’s executive branch state agencies are not to use state funds, property or resources to “support DEI positions, departments, activities, procedures or programs if they grant preferential treatment based upon one person’s race, color, ethnicity or national origin, over that of another person.”

As part of an effort that Braun’s office describes as replacing DEI in government with MEI (merit, excellence and innovation), the mandate forbids those same agencies from requiring that any employee take part in training, instruction, procedures or programs that afford the same type of treatment.

In addition, Indiana state agencies are not permitted to require job applicants to provide a DEI-related statement or grant special treatment to a candidate for supplying such a statement, and are prohibited from mandating any person discloses their pronouns.

Braun has characterized the order, and the others he’s issued since Jan. 13, as part of an effort to make Indiana state government leaner and more cost-effective.

As WISH-TV in Indianapolis reported, Braun also noted the “breadth of support” that he’s received “from the entire spectrum of Hoosiers that embrace that idea of freedom and opportunity.”

Civil rights advocates in Indiana, however, don’t appear to be among those supporters.

For example, Chris Daley, executive director of the ACLU of Indiana, told WRTV Indianapolis that DEI-focused programs ensure diverse applicant pools, eliminate hiring biases and prevent harassment and discrimination on the job. He also expressed fear that eliminating DEI initiatives in state government could ultimately keep top talent from pursuing opportunities in the public sector.

“The first message [this executive order] sends is that the state is a less welcoming employer than we were yesterday,” Daley said to WRTV. “I think that’s going to decrease the interest of many people becoming state employees and contributing to the well-being of our state.”