New Hampshire House Republicans Vote to Ban DEI Across All State Government and Schools

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire House Republicans voted Tuesday to bar diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across all levels of state government, including K-12 public schools and state colleges and universities. The move marks a sweeping policy shift, fulfilling a campaign promise by many Republican lawmakers to root out what they view as ideologically driven and divisive initiatives in public institutions.

The measure, added as an amendment to House Bill 2, passed the House Finance Committee on a 14-10 vote along party lines after an initial delay in the committee vote earlier in the day.

In the initial vote, two Republicans — Reps. Jess Edwards (R-Auburn) and Brian Seaworth (R-Pembroke) — joined Democrats to oppose the amendment. However, after a caucus meeting, the Republican majority reconvened and successfully passed the measure later that afternoon.

One Republican lawmaker, speaking on background, described the internal shift bluntly: “Osborne came in and took care of business,” referring to House Majority Leader Jason Osborne’s involvement in realigning the vote.

“House Republicans ran on stopping D.E.I. from destroying our state government and our public schools,” said Rep. Joe Sweeney (R-Salem), one of the amendment’s co-sponsors. “Today’s amendment to HB2 does just that. Prohibiting state dollars from funding racist and sexist D.E.I. initiatives and programs is a crucial step towards ensuring individual merit and achievement, not collective despair, is the biggest determining factor in how we shape the future of the Granite State.”

The amendment defines DEI programs broadly, prohibiting any initiatives that classify individuals based on race, sex, or ethnicity “for the purpose of achieving demographic outcomes.” It bans DEI-related activities, such as implicit bias training, critical race theory, and race-based hiring or contracting preferences, in all executive agencies, state-funded schools, and political subdivisions.

Under the amendment, state agencies and public schools are required to audit and report all existing contracts with DEI-related provisions by October 1, 2025. Schools that fail to comply risk an immediate halt to state funding, pending certification of compliance from the commissioner of education.

Democrats on the committee voiced strong opposition, arguing the language of the amendment was overly broad and threatened academic freedom and local control. Nevertheless, the final committee vote reflected a united Republican front after internal disagreements were resolved.

The amendment now advances as part of the broader HB 2 budget trailer bill, which is expected to reach the full House floor later this month.