Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed two bills on Wednesday (April 22): one targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the state, and another addressing environmental regulations.
The first bill, SB 1134, bars counties and municipalities from establishing or maintaining DEI offices, officers, or programs, according to a news release. It also states that taxpayer funds cannot be allocated to DEI-related initiatives or provided to third-party contractors that promote DEI.
“Floridians should not be forced to pay for radical climate agendas or identity politics with their hard-earned tax dollars,” DeSantis wrote in the release.
Evelyn Foxx, president of the NAACP branch in Gainesville, Florida, responded to the bill’s signing in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, claiming that although DeSantis is entitled to his opinion, his perspective on DEI differs from “everyone else’s.”
“If you talked to 100 white men, they wouldn’t feel the same way,” she said. “The governor is out of touch with people, and that is the bottom line.”
The bill is the latest in a nationwide push against DEI programs and initiatives, largely carried out by conservative states and beginning with the targeting of DEI efforts in higher education, per the AP.
Florida was among at least five states that proposed bills targeting DEI in higher education in 2023, a trend that has accelerated since President Donald Trump took office in 2024.
"The bill is necessary because cities and counties have been funding and promoting divisive activities under the guise of DEI,” Florida Senator Clay Yarborough wrote in a statement. “At a time when many Floridians are struggling to afford groceries and gas, millions of taxpayer dollars should not continue to be wasted by local governments on DEI initiatives, even more so because they are failing to do what they claim."
The second bill DeSantis signed, HB 1217, prohibits government entities from implementing net-zero mandates or emissions targets. It also prohibits the administration of taxes, fees, or penalties tied to carbon emissions, and blocks the use of taxpayer dollars to fund organizations promoting net-zero policies.
“Net-zero mandates and carbon taxes increase costs on families, businesses, and consumers,” Florida Representative Berny Jacques said in a statement. “This bill protects Floridians from higher energy prices, increased transportation costs, and other hidden junk fees caused by emissions mandates and burdensome regulations.”
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