Donna Deegan pans ‘performative’ push to kill local DEI initiatives

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan is “disconcerted” by “performative” proposals in Tallahassee that put municipal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) pushes on the chopping block.

“I certainly don’t understand the need for this legislation,” the first-term Democrat said on WJCT’s First Coast Connect.

Legislation from Sen. Clay Yarborough (SB 420) and Rep. Dean Black (HB 1571) aims to block local governments from passing DEI initiatives and to make ones already in law illegal. The bills also create a cause of action for citizens to file civil suits against local governments in the event they feel discriminated against by DEI laws.

The bills match each other in language and in the process. As of this writing, neither has been put on a committee agenda. But Jacksonville’s Mayor is watching nonetheless.

Deegan is particularly troubled by the “retroactive” nature of the bill language, which suggests that people who voted for DEI bills even before the legislation is passed could be subject to civil suits from people who say they are impacted.

“I don’t even know at this point whether that is legislation that is constitutional,” Deegan said Tuesday.

Yarborough and Black explained the bills’ purpose upon filing them nearly two weeks ago.

Yarborough said they targeted “ideological agendas that government should not be imposing upon its people.

Black said the proposals will “once and for all Destroy Ideological Extremism in local government … and ensure that Florida is where D.E.I. goes to D.I.E.!”