Members of the ¶¶Ņõh Legislative Black Caucus remained upset Tuesday after a Republican lawmaker pushed a bill through the House the night before that would programs in state government.Ģż
On Monday, in an unusual form of protest, two dozen African-American Democrats and two White Democrats stood in solidarity in the front of the House to express their quiet fury with the bill, repeatedly calling it ādivisive.ā Debate over the bill lasted into the night.Ģż
āThis is the most racially offensive piece of legislation that I think Iāve had to debate since I came into office,ā said Rep. Candace Newell, D-New Orleans, the first of 10 members of the Black Caucus who denounced the measure, House Bill 685 by Rep. Emily Chenevert, R-Baton Rouge.Ģż
āThis bill is about race, thatās all,ā Rep. Ed Larvadain, D-Alexandria, said several minutes later.Ģż
Chenevert teared up briefly as she defended it, saying, āMy desire is that we come together, and we not divide.āĢż
Voting closely along party lines, the House passed Chenevertās bill by four votes, 57-32ĢżĢż
No Democrats voted for the bill, while three Republicans voted against it. They were Rep. Vincent Cox of Gretna, Rep. Beth Billings of Destrehan and Rep. Jeff Wiley of Gonzales.Ģż
Likely indicating the political sensitivities, 13 members who voted on the preceding bill were absent on HB685.Ģż
The bruised feelings remained on Tuesday.Ģż
āWe received no answers to our questions of what the bill would do to specific programs that deal with racial relations and training,ā Rep. Tammy Phelps, D-Shreveport, said in an interview Tuesday.
Chenevertās bill is part of a movement by conservative lawmakers in recent years to target DEI programs, particularly at schools.Ģż
In August, Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order preventing the use of critical race theory in Louisianās K-12 public education system.Ģż
āCritical Race Theory (CRT) includes divisive teachings that instruct students to view life through the lens of race and victimhood,ā Landry said in issuing the order.Ģż
Why the bill is controversial
Chenevert's bill prohibits state agencies from maintaining or initiating DEI programs, employing people to perform functions related to DEI or requiring any applicants or employes to provide a statement regarding DEI.
Her bill also prohibits āany preferential treatment based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation in making decisions at public postsecondary education institutions on admissions, state-supported financial aid, scholarships, or other services or benefits.ā
āThis is not about taking rights away from anybody,ā said Chenevert. āThis is not divisive. This is about protecting every ¶¶Ņõhn. This is about equality for all.ā
But Rep. Denise Marcelle, D-Baton Rouge, echoing the views of other Democrats, said Chenevertās bill would undermine efforts to overcome laws that have held back Black people and women.
āApparently, Rep. Chenevert does not know why it was created in the first place,ā Marcelle said. āIf we had equal opportunity to be at the table, there would be no need to create the program.ā
Larvadain said HB685 might repeal a program that gives financial need scholarships to one or two African-Americans each year to study at LSU-Alexandria.
In an interview Tuesday, Rep. Adrian Fisher, D-Monroe, said it could eliminate a program at the state Department of Agriculture that assists Black farmers.
Rep. Vanessa LaFleur, D-Baton Rouge, said it could kill courses on Black history or African-American studies that are mandated for a major.
What it means for universities
The bill bars institutions from mandating instructional content "that relates to critical race theory, white fragility, white guilt, systemic racism, institutional racism, anti-racism, systemic bias, implicit bias, intersectionality, gender identity, allyship, race-based reparations, or race-based privilege."
It also forbids institutions from requiring "instructional content that promotes the differential treatment of any individual or group of individuals based on race or ethnicity, imputed bias, or other ideology related to diversity, equity or inclusion."
The bill includes some exemptions. And it specifies that it is aimed at institutional mandates, not to "limit the academic freedom of any individual faculty member to direct the instruction of his own class, including the selection of instructional materials, classroom discussion topics, and assignments, nor to limit the discussion of ideas in a classroom setting."
But some ¶¶Ņõh university professors have raised concerns that the bill could undercut their academic freedom and block them from teaching important concepts.
Ģż"This legislation would stifle the āmarketplace of ideasā and infantize our students, forcing faculty to avoid concepts the legislature dislikes and presenting only those that have gained their favor," wrote leaders of the ¶¶Ņõh Conference of the American Association of University Professors in a letter to lawmakers. "This is antithetical to freedom in a democratic society and hurts our students as they transition into fully enfranchised citizens."Ģż
What's next
After passage of the bill, HB685 heads to the Senate for consideration.
The racial debate that roiled the chamber might spill over and affect other legislative business, especially on bills where Republicans are divided and need Democratic support to win passage. That could affect bills supported by Landry, who backs the measure, according to Chenevert.
Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette, cast doubt on whether the Senate will approve HB685.
ĢżāThe Senate as an institution was built on trust and respect. Thatās still in place,ā Boudreaux said in an interview. āThere will be some conversations about,āWhat does this accomplish and are there other means to get there?āā
Racial issues periodically flare up and divide legislators.
In 2021, anger by Black legislators over a White colleague's "divisive comments" from teaching about race ignited a month long controversy. In the end, the legislator, then-state Rep. Ray Garofalo, R-Chalmette, was forced to step down as chair of the House Education Committee by then-Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales.
On Monday night, Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-Baton Rouge, said leaders such as P.B.S. Pinchback, the stateās first Black governor, during the Reconstruction Era, provided for public education.
āThen Jim Crow came in,ā he said, adding, āLet me be frank. This is an anti-Black bill.ā
After the Black Caucus members, Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Gray, went to the well and spoke in favor of the bill.
Amedee called equity āa Marxist term. Itās an attempt by the government to force equal outcomes.āĢż
She added, āWhat makes us strong is unity, unity around truth. We should recognize people for their strengths, for their talentsā¦Thereās only one race, and itās human. All are created in the image of Godā¦.I love you, my colleagues.ā
Rep. Chuck Owen, R-Rosepine, defended Chenevert, saying she is a good, church-going woman. He expressed chagrin at the debate.
āI see us talking past each other,ā he said. āI hear us talking past each other.ā
