Published: June 01, 2023
By: Claire Sullivan, LSU Manship School News Service
Rep. Valarie Hodges proposed a bill to collect information on diversity programs and race-related teaching.
BATON ROUGE, La. —The House Education Committee rejected a resolution Wednesday that would have asked public schools, including universities, to provide information on programs and activities related to critical race theory, diversity, equity and inclusion, and social-emotional learning.
The resolution was deferred on a 6-5 vote. Two Republicans—Reps. Vincent “Vinney” St. Blanc III, of Franklin, and Barbara Reich Freiberg, of Baton Rouge—joined four Democrats in rejecting the proposal.
A major contention point, highlighted by public education officials at all levels, was the resolution’s lack of definitions for the various subjects. The vote also represented a relatively rare instance in which Louisiana Republicans blocked a push on a cultural issue targeted by national party activists.
Rep. Ken Brass, D-Vacherie, asked the sponsor of the bill, Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, to define critical race theory. She dodged the question, saying, “different people interpret it different ways.”
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LSU Manship School Statehouse Bureau 