Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon’s flurry of vetoes last weekend included something unexpected: a line-item veto that allowed the legislature’s decision to axe $1.7 million in state funding for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) but would allow the university to use its own funds for diversity-related programs.
DEI initiatives, aimed at preventing discrimination and ensuring equal opportunity, have widespread support throughout the U.S. but remain the subject of a contentious conservative debate within the Republican party criticizing the teaching of affirmative action and critical race theory in colleges and universities.
