This past week, the House Appropriations Committee voted to accept certain budget riders that would amend the house version of the state budget, House Bill 1. HB 1 is a general framework, but the specifics of the budget are largely determined by budget riders. Riders direct how the funding in the budget should or should be spent.
The Appropriations Committee voted to approve hundreds of budget riders, which will be considered on the House floor when HB 1 is brought up for debate, but one specific budget rider related to higher education sparked passionate debate among the committee members.
Rider No. 186, by Rep. Carrie Isaac (R-Dripping Springs), would prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) “practices or similar programs” in higher education and state agencies.