Florida

Texas Lawmakers Pass Ban On Diversity Programs At Public Colleges—Possibly Joining Florida

Published

1 year ago

May 29, 2023

Texas Lawmakers Pass Ban On Diversity Programs At Public Colleges—Possibly Joining Florida

Topline

Legislators in Texas sent a bill to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk Sunday that—if signed—would ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at public universities, just weeks after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in Florida signed a similar bill into law.

Texas legislators sent a bill to the governor’s desk Sunday that, if signed, would ban DEI … [+] initiatives in public higher education. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Key Facts

The bill seeks to make Texas universities get rid of their DEI offices and programs—along with any mandatory diversity trainings—and would require all hiring practices be “color-blind and sex-neutral,” per the bill text.

To enforce compliance, the bill states that universities cannot spend state money appropriated to them until they submit a report certifying the school’s compliance with the new law, which takes effect in the spring semester of the 2023-2024 school year.

A previous version of the bill sought to require universities to reassign current DEI office staff to new, similarly-paid positions, but in order to get the bill through before the end of the Texas state legislative session, that requirement was removed and the bill now states that universities can provide letters of recommendation for displaced employees.

What To Watch For

Though the session ends May 29 for Texas legislators, Abbott has until June 18 to sign the bill into law. Abbott has not commented on the bill since legislators pushed it to his desk over the weekend, but in the past, his chief of staff directed people to not use diversity, equity and inclusion policies in hiring out of concern that it violates federal and state employment laws.

Key Background

Presidential candidate and Florida Gov. DeSantis signed a similar bill into effect earlier in May to stop public colleges from funding diversity, equity and inclusion programs, though that bill additionally limited how race can be discussed in university classrooms. The push follows recent efforts in several GOP-led states to restrict how race, sexuality and other topics are discussed. When signing Florida’s bill, DeSantis said that DEI “has no place in our public institutions” and students who want to learn about “niche subjects” can do so elsewhere because “Florida’s getting out of that game.” After DeSantis signed the law, along with a number of other laws restricting things like critical race theory in the classroom, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People issued a travel advisory for Florida in response to “DeSantis’ aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.” Unlike Florida’s bill, the Texas legislation doesn’t impact the academic curriculum or offerings available; it also doesn’t impact the admissions process, operation of student organizations or faculty research. Since its introduction, the bill has been opposed by many faculty and students statewide, though the Texas Tribune reported that university leaders have remained quiet about the potential impact of the bill.

Cheif Critic

A group of Texas college students known as Texas Students for DEI said in a statement to the Texas Tribune that the lawmakers behind the decision “fundamentally misunderstand the role of DEI,” which they argued “represents a dedication to create and maintain an open and supportive environment for all students regardless of background.”

Florida State rolls out new academic logo

Published

26 mins ago

July 8, 2024

Press Room

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Florida State University is giving its academic logo a face-lift.

The new logo will now be in place of the university’s seal on their website.

More Tallahassee news:

However, the logo with the seal will be reserved for special use such as graduation.

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Florida

Florida gas prices jumped 18 cents

Published

7 hours ago

July 8, 2024

Press Room

ORLANDO, Fla. – Fireworks were not the only thing going sky high last week. Florida gas prices shot up 18 cents per gallon in the days leading up to Independence Day, according to AAA.

AAA reported the state average price for gasoline as of Sunday was $3.51 per gallon. Florida drivers ended up paying an average of $3.53 on July 4. This was 27 cents more than last year’s holiday but just over a dollar less than the average price on the day in 2022.

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Officials stated the increase in price can be attributed to the traveling demand of the holiday weekend and the presence of the storm Beryl, which headed toward the Texas coastline over the weekend. The majority of Florida’s gasoline supply is sourced from transports that dock on the Gulf Coast and consequently sparked concern about the impact of the storm on oil supply.

“Florida drivers are now paying the most expensive gas prices in nearly two months,” Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA, said in a statement. “Fuel prices face continued upward pressure on concerns about Tropical Storm Beryl, and economic data suggesting that the U.S. Federal Reserve could lower interest rates to boost growth.”

The lowest metro market gas prices still remain in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach ($3.20), Pensacola ($3.22) and Panama City ($3.22), with the highest being in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton ($3.67), Naples ($3.58) and Homosassa Springs ($3.57).

To view state and local average gas prices, as well as anticipated costs, visit the AAA’s website. AAA also has a road trip calculator to help with your travel budget.

Ways to save on gasoline, according to AAA:

Combine errands to limit driving time.
Shop around for the best gas prices in your community.
Pay with cash. Some retailers charge extra per gallon for customers who pay with a credit card.
Remove excess weight in your vehicle. Every 100 pounds taken out of the vehicle improves fuel economy by 1-2 percent.
Drive conservatively. Aggressive acceleration and speeding reduce fuel economy.

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Florida

CFO Names Gallagher to Board of Florida Insurance Guaranty Association

Published

15 hours ago

July 8, 2024

Press Room

CFO Names Gallagher to Board of Florida Insurance Guaranty Association

Tom Gallagher, an éminence grise or elder statesman of the Florida property insurance world and current chief operating officer for People’s Trust Insurance Co., now has another job to put on his resumé: board member for the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association.

Florida’s chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, announced last week that he had appointed Gallagher to the FIGA Board of Directors, filling a vacancy left after a previous board member’s term had expired. The board now has seven members, and can have as many as nine.

Gallagher

FIGA, which handles claims left behind by insolvent insurers and must occasionally issue bonds and raise assessments on insurers to pay for those claims, has seen its oversight go through some significant changes in the last two months.

The executive director for the past two years, Corey Neal, stepped down in May to become executive vice president at SageSure. Four FIGA board members also left after their terms were completed, and four new members have now been appointed.

In a career that spans five decades, Gallagher, 80, has served as state treasurer, chief financial officer, insurance commissioner (1989 to 1995 and again from 2001 to 2003), and as a state legislator. He also was state education commissioner.

Gallagher helped start an insurance agency in 2008 and has been a consultant for Colodny Fass, a law firm that specializes in insurance litigation and regulation matters. He joined People’s Trust, based in Deerfield Beach in 2017, the company noted.

Patronis Names GEICO Claims Director to FIGA Board, Giving Board an Auto Insurance Rep

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A.J. Gallagher