By Howard Fischer
Mail | X: @azcapmedia

PHOENIX - Arizona will not be taking money away from state universities and community colleges that offer courses in diversity, equity and inclusion.

In a series of vetoes late Friday, Gov. Katie Hobbs rejected a proposal by Sen. David Farnsworth that would remove all state funds from any school that had even one course that his legislation declared unacceptable.

That includes topics that relate to contemporary American society - things like whiteness, institutional racism, unconscious bias, gender identity, social justice, race-based reparations and gender-based inclusion.

And that's just a partial list of what the measure crafted by the Mesa Republican would not allow.

Farnsworth said he crafted the proposal after reading a book in a course on cultural diversity he is taking at Rio Salado Community College to go after his bachelor's degree in elementary education.

In her veto message, the governor did not address the specific concerns raised by Farnsworth but instead focused on the effects the bill would have.

"Our state universities and community colleges play a vital role in developing Arizona's workforce, improving our economy and strengthening our quality of life through transformational research,'' she wrote.

"Jeopardizing their state funding with a bill that lacks clarity attacks future stability and would lead to negative effects on the state's workforce and economy.''

All totaled, Hobbs on Friday found fault with 23 proposals that reached her desk, bringing her tally so far this still-ongoing legislative session to 75. That already is two more than she issued during the entire 2024 session.

Her record - in fact, the record for any governor in state history - is the 143 bills she vetoed in 2023.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.