Call To Action: Tell your Rep to Vote No on HB 261

As the first day of the Legislative Session opens, Republicans have already dropped a concerning Bill: HB 261 Equal Opportunity Initiatives.

HB 261 destroys diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at our public universities and within state government organizations. From reducing resources for students to changing DEI hiring practices, HB 261 will have a tremendous impact on the future of our community.

The Utah and Salt Lake County Black Caucus are releasing a call to action to stop the implementation of this discriminatory Bill. Here is what you can do to help.

Attend the Hearing in Person or Virtually

HB 261 is scheduled to be heard tomorrow, January 17th, in House Building Room 30 at 2:00 PM with the House Education Committee. Please attend and be ready to leave a comment voicing your disapproval of the bill.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can join virtually through the link on the House Education Committee's webpage:

https://le.utah.gov/committee/committee.jsp?year=2024&com=HSTEDU

Call or Email your Representative

Contact your Representative now about voting 'No' on HB 261. To find who your representative is, visit https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp. Simply call and leave them a message explaining your objection to this Bill, or email them with your reasonings.

If you are having trouble writing an email, here is a template drafted for you. Simply copy it and replace the text in brackets to customize it for yourself.

Learn more about the data presented in this Salt Lake Tribune article: Gov. Cox said he didn’t see evidence DEI programs work. Here’s the data Utah colleges say they’ve given him.

Template:

Hello [Representative Name],

HB 261 is being heard on January 17th with the House Education Committee. I, as your constituent, would like to express my disapproval and urge you to vote ‘No’ on this bill.

HB 261 will damage resources our universities and state government organizations have in place for promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion. I am concerned for how this will affect the prosperity of our community and neglect cases of discrimination.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Thank You for Your Support

 We sincerely appreciate your efforts in helping us stop this terrible bill from impacting our public universities. The Salt Lake County Democratic Party is working tirelessly to support diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our community. 

If you are unable to attend the hearing or contact your Representative, please consider donating to the Salt Lake County Democratic Party. Your support helps us continue to fight against Republican extremism.