The Trump administration’s assault on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, has spread to state governments and corporations. Now two St. Joseph County council members have introduced a bill to stop rewarding companies for hiring racial minorities when considering requests for property tax abatements.
Republican County Council members Amy Drake and Andy Rutten have called their bill The Fairness and Equal Treatment Ordinance. It would amend the county’s current property tax abatement ordinance to remove all references and requirements related to affirmative action.
The ordinance would no longer require companies that receive abatements to maintain a written affirmative action plan. They would also no longer be required to state how many racial minorities they’ve hired in the past five years and how many they plan to hire over the next five years.
Rutten said he didn’t yet have a feel for the bill’s odds of passing.
”When you talk about support, I think a lot of the community has reservations about DEI," Rutten said. "When you talk about members on the county council, I’m not real sure yet. I think that’s why we’re just starting this conversation.”
The bill will be heard Tuesday night by the council’s Budget & Administration Committee. Committee Chair Bryan Tanner, a Democrat, was not available for comment Thursday.
