Gov. Josh Stein vetoes DEI bans, saying they ‘whitewash history’ and ‘ban books’
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein vetoed a slate of Republican-crafted bills targeting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in government and schools.
The three bills, which passed along party lines last week, would broadly ban DEI in state agencies and restrict classroom instruction on so-called “divisive concepts.”
“Our diversity is our strength. We should not whitewash history, police dorm room conversations, or ban books,” Stein said in his veto message on one bill focused on higher education. “Rather than fearing different viewpoints and cracking down on free speech, we should ensure our students learn from diverse perspectives and form their own opinions.”
Stein also vetoed a fourth bill declaring that North Carolina would only recognize two sexes. Other provisions in the bill include restrictions on where transgender students can sleep on overnight school trips.
“At a time when teachers, law enforcement, and state employees need pay raises and people need shorter lines at the DMV, the legislature failed to pass a budget and, instead, wants to distract us by stoking culture wars that further divide us,” Stein said in a statement about all four bills. “These mean-spirited bills would marginalize vulnerable people and also undermine the quality of public services and public education.”
The state Republican Party issued a news release calling the vetoes “shameful” and “misguided.”
“Gov. Stein’s true ideology reveals itself when he vetoes bills to end unfair DEI practices in state government and can’t acknowledge there are two genders,” the party’s statement said.
Republicans will face an uphill battle trying to override Stein’s veto on the DEI measures. They are one vote short of a veto-proof supermajority in the House, meaning they’d either have to convince one Democrat to vote with them or exploit an absence.
The proposals were met with fierce opposition by House and Senate Democrats, who accused Republicans of drawing from “an authoritarian playbook.”
But Republicans contend the bills will make sure hiring is based on merit and comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders cracking down on DEI.
The higher education measure “will reinforce the need for public schools to focus on the core curriculum,” GOP Senate leader Phil Berger said in a social media post Thursday before the veto, “and prohibits promoting discriminatory practices in public schools.”
What the bills would do
The bill targeting DEI in government, House Bill 171, would have banned state agencies and municipalities from using DEI concepts in hiring decisions or giving differential treatment or special benefits on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation and more.
It would have also banned government agencies from using state funds to support DEI programs or applying for federal grants that require compliance with DEI policies. The Republican state auditor would regularly audit state agencies for compliance with the ban, and violations could result in a $10,000 civil penalty.
The other two bills, Senate Bill 227 and Senate Bill 558, would target DEI in K-12 education and higher education, respectively. Both measures would require schools to dismantle any DEI offices and restrict the instruction or promotion of what they label “divisive concepts.”
A total of 12 are spelled out in the bills, including the notions that a person’s race or sex makes them “inherently superior” to others, makes them “inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive,” determines their “moral character,” or makes them responsible “for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.”
While the restrictions on K-12 schools would be new, the bill dealing with higher education would largely codify existing practice. The UNC System Board of Governors implemented an “institutional neutrality” policy for the state’s public universities and repealed diversity initiatives last year.
DEI offices in all 17 UNC System schools have either closed or significantly restructured as a result.
This story was originally published July 3, 2025 at 10:50 AM with the headline "Gov. Josh Stein vetoes DEI bans, saying they ‘whitewash history’ and ‘ban books’."
