Kansas universities are getting $35.7 million in state funding reinstated after complying with the Legislature’s new restrictions on certain diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
Blake Flander, CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents, indicated to the State Finance Council on Tuesday that university administrators have eliminated any DEI statement requirements that may have existed for students and staff.
“We seek restoration of state funding, $35.7 million to the state universities for their operations,” Flanders told the council, comprised of top legislators and Gov. Laura Kelly. “This is not new money; it’s money from FY 2024 base budgets. I’m certifying that the 2024 House Bill 2105 took effect as of July 1, 2024, and that was part of the proviso on those funds.”
Kansas lawmakers put anti-DEI proviso in budget
Lawmakers wrote the anti-DEI mandate into the budget in a way that universities would lose a portion of their funding unless they certified that DEI statements are not used in hiring and admissions.
Specifically, the budget proviso in Senate Bill 28 prohibited “asking for statements of commitment to or requiring examples of past, current or future experience with diversity, equity and inclusion” in hiring of employees or volunteers, admissions, tenure review, annual review, promotions and research proposals.
