Richmond, VA-–On Monday, Governor Glenn Youngkin, whose office once declared that “DEI is dead,” found himself signing a state spending bill that apportioned $3.6 million to the Office of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion. The bill also mandated that Governor Youngkin must return the word “equity” to the office title after attempting to change the office’s name to the Office of Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion. It also stipulated that he must name a new director to the office by July 1. Youngkin, who had previously appointed a Heritage Foundation executive and a man who said that diversity was “the wrong mission” to lead the office, has so far failed to name a new director, and the banner on the office’s website still reads, “Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion.”
If Governor Youngkin does not name a new director by July 1, 2024, the budget stipulates that all of the funds will be released to the Virginia Cannabis Equity Business Loan Fund, which provides loans to cannabis business operators who are members of groups disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition.
“As the Governor of the Commonwealth, Glenn Youngkin, at minimum, is required to follow the laws of the Commonwealth,” said LaTwyla Mathias, Executive Director at Progress Virginia. “Unfortunately for him, this is true whether or not he agrees with the laws or believes that they’re worth his time. We know that Governor Youngkin doesn’t believe in equity, but it will be interesting to see whether playing politics with the DEI office is more important to him than preventing minority-owned cannabis businesses from getting state assistance. Regardless, we call on him to name a new Director immediately and to let the office get back to its important work.”
“After signing a new state spending plan on Monday, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin must appoint a director for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by July 1 or risk losing money for the office, whose title he renamed by replacing “equity” with “opportunity,” a move which Democrats criticized as contrary to state code.”
“If the governor is not going to follow the laws, then there are consequences for it,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax….it was my understanding he took that stuff pretty seriously, but that doesn’t always seem to be the case if he doesn’t agree with the law.”
“[T]he DEI title mandated by the state didn’t appear on the official state website and “uses an incorrect name and refers to Mr. Brown as the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Chief Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion Officer.”
Miyares responded that if the governor makes sure the state’s laws relating to the DEI office are “‘faithfully executed,’ he may include within his cabinet a Chief Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion Officer who is charged with performing duties supplemental to those of the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”