RALEIGH, NC (AP) – The promotion of certain beliefs that some North Carolina lawmakers have likened to “critical race theory” is on track to be banned from state government workplaces, under a bill of law that received final legislative approval on Tuesday.
The double proposal that passed the GOP-controlled Senate 30-15, with three Democrats and all Republicans present voting in favor, it would also prohibit hiring managers for state agencies, community colleges and the University of North Carolina system from pressuring a job applicant about their personal beliefs or policies as a condition of employment.
The state House passed the bill last week by similar veto-proof margins. It now heads to the desk of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who has not indicated whether he will sign it but has spoken in the past about his dedication to keeping North Carolina on the front lines of the “culture wars that harm the people and they cost us”. work places”.
Cooper may not have much say if he opposes it: Republicans have held veto-proof majorities in both chambers since a Democratic state lawmaker switched parties two months ago. Initial votes for approval indicate the veto would likely be overridden. Cooper’s other option would be to allow the bill to become law without his signature.
Starting Dec. 1, anyone entering a state government workplace, such as a private contractor or diversity coach, would be prohibited by law from forcing employees to believe they should feel guilty or responsible for past actions committed by people of the same race or sex.
Other restricted concepts include that the United States was created for the purpose of oppressing members of another race or sex, and that the government is “inherently racist.”
Republicans earlier this year applauded the same list of restrictions, which also appear in an education bill passed by the state House, to “ban” critical race theory, an academic framework and complex legal framework centered on the idea that racism is embedded in the nation’s institutions. , which perpetuate inequality. Neither bill explicitly mentions the framework.
Sen. Warren Daniel, a Burke County Republican and one of the primary sponsors of the jobs bill, argues it is designed to prevent hiring discrimination and protect new employees from “indoctrination.”
Senate Leader Phil Berger told reporters after the vote that Republicans “think it’s important to have the right, or at least have in a statute, the protection of people’s rights to their own opinions… especially in cases where these opinions have nothing to do with it.” with the work” that is asked of them. Applicants could still share their beliefs voluntarily.
While Democrats on the committee overwhelmingly supported the provision that shields job candidates from what they considered invasive questions about private topics, several took issue with the list of prohibited beliefs.
The language in this list reflects a model proposal from Citizens for Renewing America, a conservative social welfare group founded by a former official in President Donald Trump’s administration that aims to combat critical race theory. Trump and other prominent Republicans have successfully turned the phrase into a stepping stone to slow down discussions of racial issues related to systemic inequality, inherent bias and white privilege.
Democratic Sen. Lisa Grafstein said she believes Cooper should veto the measure, which she called “kind of a culture war reaction that’s not based on any real concerns that have been expressed by state employees.”
The Wake County Democrat noted that implicit bias training is now offered to state employees that “actually helps people become better workers, better managers, better hiring authorities.” She and other Democrats have raised concerns that the bill could threaten productive workplace discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion.
“We don’t want to send a signal, which I think this bill does, that certain topics are off limits in state employment if they would be beneficial to state employees,” Grafstein said.
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Hannah Schoenbaum is a staff member of the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a national nonprofit service program that places reporters in local newsrooms to report on undercover issues.
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Associated Press writer Gary Robertson contributed to this report.
