A proposed DEI ban in N.H. would prohibit taxpayer support for programs to help people with disabilities
'As written, it's pretty daunting,' said Karen Rosenberg, policy director for the Disability Rights Center in New Hampshire.
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Rosenberg, a trained attorney, said the proposed DEI ban would seem to contradict existing state laws, such as those that offer targeted property tax exemptions to help people with disabilities maintain their housing and home ownership.
It's clear the proposal 'wasn't properly vetted,' she said.
While the House and Senate adopted slightly different anti-DEI proposals, either version would be bad for New Hampshire, Rosenberg said.
'They're mostly the same, and they're both terrible,' she added.
The two proposals define 'DEI' in similar fashion — both refer to programs, policies, training, or initiatives that classify individuals 'for the purpose of achieving demographic outcomes, rather than treating individuals equally under the law' — but they differ in describing which types of classifications would be impermissible.
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While the House said DEI involves classifying people 'based on race, sex, ethnicity, or other group characteristics,' the Senate said it involves classifying people based on any of the characteristics listed in an existing anti-discrimination law. That existing law lists '
Louis Esposito, executive director of
Esposito said the proposals could have far-reaching ramifications in education. If a school offers a training session on neurodiversity, for example, would that be deemed a DEI violation? School leaders who are unsure might avoid such topics, at the expense of equity and inclusion for students with disabilities, he said, especially since the proposals would direct the state's education commissioner to
In some ways, the
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While lawmakers formed a committee of conference last week to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the state budget, the bulk of their work has revolved around detailed revenue estimates and debates over exactly how much to allocate to each line item, not refining the DEI ban.
When asked about the implications for disability-related programming, Senate President Sharon M. Carson, a Republican from Londonderry who sits on the committee of conference for the two pieces of legislation that comprise the budget, said in a statement Friday there is a long way to go before the legislation is finalized.
'It is still too early to tell which provisions and programs will be accounted for as we negotiate with the House,' she said. 'Rest assured that we will ensure the final budget package is one that is suitable for all Granite Staters.'
After the committee completes its work this week, the full legislative chambers are expected to take final votes next week on the new budget, which would take effect July 1.
Steven Porter can be reached at
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