Programs benefiting minority communities could be on the chopping block after Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation cracking down on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
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City, County reviewing programs after Gov. Ron DeSantis signs a bill cracking down on DEI in local governments
A program review is underway within the city and county to review initiatives that target diversity, equity, and inclusion, and see which ones could be at risk. The new law goes into effect January 1, 2027, and prohibits local governments from funding DEI programs and enacts penalties for local officials who partake in DEI initiatives.
“If you violate these prohibitions, you will be subject to removal from office,” Gov. DeSantis said at a press conference last week.
City officials say it’s unclear right now which programs will be targeted.
Business owners like K. Lennorris Barber with the Mount Olive Affordable Housing and Community Development Corporation, who are part of the Minority, Women, and Small Business Enterprise program, say they are not worried.
“So those programs typically don’t provide funding. They provide some type of goal in terms of minority participation in procurement. So if there’s a goal of 30% participation in a project, then those programs would supposedly ensure that that participation exists, but there’s very little monitoring, and there’s no enforcement,” Barber said.
Barber says if these programs do go away, he wants to see resources diverted to economically distressed areas. He added he would like to see something similar to state initiatives like Opportunity Zones, looking to funnel capital into target areas.
“I would like to see the resources that are currently allocated for those programs get redirected to programs that would provide opportunities for folks in economically distressed communities just kind of recalibrate and rewrite the narrative and provide some economic support for those communities that have been disadvantaged,” Barber said.
Reverend R.B. Holmes, of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, who held a press conference speaking out about the bill last month, says for him, it is a moral and ethical issue that needs action.
“I think that this community, especially civil rights leaders, ought to consider some kind of legal redress. This bill has literally taken us back 50, 60 years, in a time of segregation, discrimination, and injustice,” Holmes said.
Advocates for the bill, like Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power, say the legislation is about doing the opposite.
“We’re going back to judging people by their merit letting people get hired because of the things that they’ve earned in their life. And I think it gets that woke sickness out of our government so it can be more effective and serve our citizens and not play political games,” Power said.
Faith leaders say they are looking into legal action to go against the legislation, but could not offer exact details as to what that would look like.
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