Latest news with #HouseBill1193
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DEI bans for schools, colleges passed by Mississippi Legislature
After several heated debates in both the House and Senate and many hours of back-and-forth negotiations, Mississippi lawmakers passed a measure recently to ban diversity, equity and inclusion policies at Mississippi schools, community colleges and universities. The legislation, House Bill 1193, passed by the House Tuesday, April 1, and Wednesday, April 2, in the Senate, would fall in line with recent executive orders signed by President Donald J. Trump to ban DEI policies within the federal government. The bill, on top of banning DEI policies and teachings, also seeks to establish internal reporting mechanisms and legal recourses to prevent any DEI activity. "We had to take into consideration the federal executive orders that have passed down," Senate Universities and Colleges Chairwoman Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford said. "We worked with the House to get a bill that we thought would be good guidance for our K-12 schools, our community colleges and our IHL institutions to work with what we were looking for." During every debate in both the House and Senate this session, Democrats have challenged the legislation, saying it would erode protections for minorities that have helped to make Mississippi's education system a more inclusive setting for both working professionals and students. 'What diversity, equity and inclusion does is it is a mechanism that opens the door for me that your fathers or your grandfathers or somebody down the road opened for you," Sen. Rod Hickman, D-Macon, said on the Senate floor in February. Senate passes DEI ban: DEI ban passes MS Senate. See who will be impacted DEI in the past was pegged as a method to ensure minority populations and underrepresented groups were not held back from both professional and educational opportunities. In recent years, those policies have come under attack by state and national Republicans, who have labeled DEI discriminatory. DEI opponents have also argued the policies force identity politics and education on students, putting groups of people into discriminatory labels. There are some groups and acts, including disabled students and veterans, any scholarly research and student organizations, that are exempt from the legislation seeking to ban DEI policies and activities. Some concepts such as gender identity will also be removed from education policy and curriculums, which fall in line with a statewide effort to align national GOP practices. When the House and Senate first proposed their bills, there was a big difference in how DEI ban policies would be reported and enforced. The House initially pushed for a process where state funding could be suspended for schools or universities that were reported to be in violation of the new law, as well as a method for litigation against that institution. The Senate preferred a more in-house approach, allowing for any violation to be dealt with internally at first, with a task force committee to study education efficiency attached to the bill. House passes DEI ban: MS House passes DEI ban. See who would be impacted Both chambers eventually compromised and the legislation now allows for an internal review process of any DEI ban violations and people can sue only after that review has been completed. That review period lasts 25 days for the school or college to "reverse" whatever DEI or DEI-adjacent activity that has been reported, and people could only sue after that. They could also ask the state attorney general's office to sue on their behalf if they do not agree with any findings in a report produced at the end of that 25-day review period. The DEI ban comes on the heels of the Trump administration's efforts to ban DEI within the federal government and within education. Since his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump has been firm that eliminating DEI is a priority for his team and himself. This year Republicans in both chambers have worked to eliminate DEI after state colleges had been amending many of their DEI policies to fall in line with national GOP trends. It also happened to one of only a few legislative priorities that made it out of the 2025 session. Lawmakers on Wednesday and Thursday gaveled out the session early after they could not come to an agreement on the state's $7 billion budget. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said on Thursday afternoon he plans to call a special session to fund the coming fiscal year, which begins on July 1. Grant McLaughlin covers the Legislature and state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@ or 972-571-2335. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: DEI bans pass MS Legislature
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
College frosh, sophs can't choose to live off-campus
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — Most first- and second-year students at South Dakota's public universities will have to continue living in the schools' dormitories and taking the schools' meal plans, the state House of Representatives has decided. SD Senate votes to maintain child marriage House members argued for a half hour on Tuesday about a proposal from Republican Rep. Phil Jensen to let them have the freedom to sleep and eat where they choose. In the end, House Bill 1193 failed on a 28-42 vote. 'Dorm life isn't great,' Jensen said. But Republican Rep. Mike Stevens called for the bill's defeat. He said the Legislature had committed to $87 million of bonds for student housing that would be at risk if freshmen and sophomores weren't required to live there. That could affect bond ratings for other governments when they want to borrow, he warned. 'That impacts everybody across the state,' Stevens said. He noted that students can apply for exemptions to live off-campus. Republican Rep. Bobbi Andera called for the House to focus on who would potentially benefit from the proposed change. 'This is about our children and their choices, and their parents' choices,' she said. Jensen in closing brought up another point. 'Students amass an incredible amount of debt during the four years or five years or six years to get a degree,' he said. KELOLAND News spoke with people in Brookings about the proposal last week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill prohibiting required campus living for SD university students fails in the House
State Rep. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, on the South Dakota House floor during the 2024 legislative session. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) The South Dakota House of Representatives voted down a bill Tuesday at the Capitol in Pierre that would have prohibited public universities from requiring students to live on campus the first two years of their education. Republican Rapid City Rep. Phil Jensen introduced House Bill 1193, calling the South Dakota Board of Regents policy 'unnecessary' because 'dorm life isn't great' and legal adults should be able to choose where they live and what they eat. He added that students face an 'incredible amount of debt' to earn college degrees, with required on-campus housing and meal plans adding to that debt. SD university students wouldn't be required to live on campus under committee-endorsed legislation Heather Forney, vice president of finance and administration for the state Board of Regents, which oversees the university system, told lawmakers during the bill's committee hearing last week that the system relies on student housing fees and meal plans to help pay for infrastructure for dining, housing, student unions, book stores and wellness centers at South Dakota's six public universities. The system could lose up to $87 million annually if the legislation passes, Forney told lawmakers, which would cause a default on roughly $263 million in bonds used to build those facilities. The Bureau of Finance and Management also opposed the legislation because of concerns that a potential default would impact the state's AAA bond rating. A state's bond rating is used by investors to evaluate the risk of a bond investment for projects, with a higher rating leading to better rates for taxpayers. Opponents of the bill said the policy helps students transition to college living, increases retention among students, and improves networking among students. About 93% of students who ask for an exemption are granted it, according to the regental system. Other students are granted modifications to fit their needs, said Rep. Amber Arlint, R-Sioux Falls. The House rejected the bill 42-28. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Brookings mayor, students react to college housing bill
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Students who are enrolled in public colleges in South Dakota must live on campus for the first two years. However, House Bill 1193 in this year's legislative session is looking to change that. Brookings mayor and SDSU alum, Ope Niemeyer sees the value in keeping students on campus. TenHaken weighs in on prison funding bill 'I think it really makes a difference for student retention and success if they if they take two years on campus,' Niemeyer said. 'I know students are wanting to get off campus and I want to pay that extra amount. But there are a lot of other extra costs that sometimes aren't thought about.' House Bill 1193 would allow students to choose whether to live on campus. Alex Raether is a junior at SDSU and says he opted out of the dorms his sophomore year because of the living environment. 'There were a couple of other instances of just roughhousing and just this distaste for my roommates on the floor and I just was like, 'this is not the experience that I wanted to have living on campus,'' Raether said. Chase Thedens and Dontaevian Aldridge, currently live on campus and say they would like the choice to live off campus. 'It'd save me a lot of money and go straight towards my tuition,' freshman Aldridge said. 'Not having to pay for a meal plan or paying for a dorm that I barely live in.' 'I would love to live off campus, be able to cook my own food and have my own bathroom. Sleep in a bed that's not a twin XL,' Sophomore Thedens said. Renner coach on transplant list hoping for a heart If the bill passes, Niemeyer says it could have some unintended consequences, including a possible housing shortage. 'We are kind of strapped for housing,' he said. 'We've got a lot of good things going on. We got more buildings that will be built, but that doesn't take care of, say, next year if this passes.' No matter what lawmakers decide, Niemeyer says the city will make it work. 'One way or another, I think Brookings is able to accommodate the students,' Niemeyer said. Click here for more info on the price breakdown of on-campus housing and meals at SDSU. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SD university students wouldn't be required to live on campus under committee-endorsed legislation
State Rep. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, speaks to another legislator in the South Dakota House of Representatives on Feb. 5, 2025. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) Students attending South Dakota public universities would no longer be required to live on campus the first two years of their education under legislation endorsed by a legislative committee Wednesday at the Capitol in Pierre. Republican Rapid City Rep. Phil Jensen introduced House Bill 1193, calling the South Dakota Board of Regents' two-year housing policy 'impoverishing' for students. The legislation came from students who want to change the policy because they believe it would be cheaper to live off-campus. Students said they met with university officials about their concerns, but their request to change the housing policy was turned down. 'Making students do this for two years is completely unnecessary and, rather frankly, it is a money grab by the universities,' said Levi Taglioli, a student at the University of South Dakota and a legislative intern. SD university leader argues against maintenance and repair budget cuts Heather Forney, vice president of finance and administration for the state Board of Regents, which oversees the university system, told lawmakers that the legislation would create an 'untenable' situation. She said student housing fees and meal plans help to pay for infrastructure for dining, housing, student unions, book stores and wellness centers at South Dakota's six public universities. The system could lose up to $87 million annually if the legislation passes, Forney told lawmakers, which would cause the university system to default on roughly $263 million in bonds used to build those facilities. The Bureau of Finance and Management also opposed the legislation because of concerns that a potential default would impact the state's AAA bond rating. A state's bond rating is used by investors to evaluate the risk of a bond investment for projects, with a higher rating leading to better rates for taxpayers. The cost will be much greater than $87 million, said Rep. Mike Stevens, R-Yankton, because it would cost the state, cities, counties and schools significantly more to borrow money for infrastructure projects if the state loses its AAA bond rating. 'I think all of us are in for saving our taxpayers money,' Stevens said. 'You're costing our taxpayers millions of dollars by passing this bill.' Rep. Travis Ismay, R-Newell, said he supported the legislation because adults shouldn't be forced to live somewhere to go to college. Forney told lawmakers that the housing policy does have exceptions, with about 93% of requested waivers granted for students. Lawmakers on the House Education Committee passed the bill with an 8-7 vote. It'll head to the House floor next. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
