INDIANAPOLIS (WNDU) – New Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed 19 executive orders Wednesday, including one that eliminates diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in state government.
It’s been around for decades but has become a hot topic in recent years by supporters who say it addresses inequities against marginalized groups and critics who say it’s unfair and racist. The move was applauded by many Republicans, but criticized by Democrats.
This move by the governor is an effort in his words to “make state government leaner and more efficient.” Braun says his administration will replace DEI with a new initiative called merit, excellence and innovation (MEI).
The order also shut down the state’s Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Opportunity. That closure put five people out of work, including the state’s chief of that program, Karrah Herring.
The South Bend native says she is not surprised by the closing of her office because Braun campaigned on the issue and said he would do it. But she says it’s disheartening, especially after the progress made over the last several years during former Gov, Eric Holcomb’s tenure.
“This is what the governor campaigned on, so we are not surprised,” Herring said. “I do find it unfortunate that the governor and his team — his transition team — did not speak to me or my office. I wish I could have had a conversation with the governor and his team to explain what we actually do. And in his defense, there’s a lot of bad diversity, equity and inclusion work happening across the nation, so there is that narrative out there. But the way that we approached it in Indiana was very inclusive and very targeted to the needs of all Hoosiers across the state.
“It’s interesting to me to state you’re replacing DEI with merit, excellence and innovation,” she added. “It would start with the assumption that MEI is not a part of the DEI conversation, and they must always be. And again, I alluded to that there are some organizations that do diversity work in a very negative way. But the way we’ve looked at it as the state was not about removing access to anyone or eliminating people from the conversation or taking pieces of the pie from one group and giving it to another. It was really about expanding access. But excellence, standards of excellence, merit always have to be a part of that conversation if you want to do diversity, equity and inclusion well.”
Herring also says she’s gotten a lot of calls from friends and loved ones in South Bend regarding this and wants them to know she did not lose her job and has been gone from state government just before this decision was made.
She said the governor eliminated an office, but did not eliminate the groundwork related to her DEI efforts.
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