Indiana Gov. Mike Braun eliminates DEI initiatives in state government
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed nine executive orders on Wednesday that he said will streamline state government and boost efficiency, but one is getting the most attention.
The order eliminates diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in state government. Braun said his order would replace DEI with merit, excellence, and intelligence (MEI) initiatives.
The governor's order also closes the state's Office of Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity, leaving the Karrah Herring, the state's first chief equity, inclusion, and opportunity officer out of a job, along with four co-workers.
"To say that they're replacing DEI with merit, but assume that merit was never a part of the conversation, and I think that's one of the misunderstandings that people have around diversity, equity, and inclusion – that it doesn't include excellence, that it doesn't include standards of excellence," Herring said. "There's always got to be merit at play, but with DEI, the focus really should be are we creating access for everyone? Not are we eliminating people from the conversation, are we excluding people, but are we creating access, and unfortunately people have a misunderstanding of what DEI really stands for."
Herring said she was not surprised by the closing of her office, because the governor campaigned on the issue, but she is saddened that she never got a chance to sit down with the Braun to make the case for her DEI team.