Senator's column against DEI sparks legislative backlash

A state senator’s newspaper column criticizing diversity, equity and inclusion programs sparked heated debate in the Nebraska Legislature Tuesday.

What sparked the discussion was Sen. Loren Lippincott’s column, written for weekly newspapers in his largely rural district, which stretches north and east from Grand Island, on DEI in aviation.

Supporters say DEI, or diversity, equity and inclusion programs, seek to promote the inclusion and opportunities for underrepresented racial, gender and other groups. Critics, including President Donald Trump, say DEI programs undermine a system that should be based only on merit. Trump brought this up again after a recent plane crash in Washington.

In his column, Lippincott, a former Delta airlines pilot, criticized the behavior of an air traffic controller he dealt with years ago who he was told was a “DEI hire.” Sen. Ashlei Spivey, who is Black, asked Lippincott, who is White, about that.

“Can you please explain, ideally, in a minute or less, what you mean by a DEI hire? What do you understand that to mean?” Spivey asked.

“Well, you would have to ask the individual who said it. That was told to me on the telephone by an ATC controller out of Cleveland,” Lippincott replied.

“You repeated it, though, in your letter, to say that person that you are naming was a DEI hire. So are you saying that someone said something to you? You repeated it, and you don't know what it means?” Spivey continued.

“What he inferred was that individual was not doing a very good job,” Lippincott said.

In his column, Lippincott also criticized former President Joe Biden’s appointment of Keith Washington, who Lippincott said had been appointed to head the Federal Aviation Administration. He was actually chief of staff. Lippincott’s column said Washington had no aviation experience, but “he did have a high amount of melanin in his skin.”

Melanin is a bodily substance that darkens skin color. Spivey asked Lippincott about that.

“I’m trying to understand, how did you arrive that he was in this position that you said, and that you didn't check the facts that that was true, and why you made a point to say that he had a high amount of melanin in his skin,” Spivey said.

The point in my writing that was the contrast between an appointee who was the head of the FAA under Donald Trump… and the contrast that I was making in the article is his qualifications with Keith Washington, which was quite stark,” Lippincott said.

Sen. Victor Rountree, who is also Black, and, like Lippincott, an Air Force veteran, spoke for one of the first time this year on the floor.

“As I look around at each one of you, I want to tell you that I hold you with the highest regard and the greatest of respect,” Rountree said. "But in reading that particular article, I found out that my melanin put me in a category where I might not be respected."

Nor was criticism limited to coming from Black senators, as stated by Sen. Dunixi Guereca.

“When I read this newsletter, I thought to myself, ‘I'm the child of two Mexican immigrants. Does that make me a DEI hire? Am I a DEI senator? Does that make me ‘less than?’ What does that mean?” Guereca asked.

Sen. Megan Hunt said what she thinks critics of DEI mean.

“What does that even mean? It's a euphemism for Black,” Hunt said. "It's a euphemism for a person of color instead of talking about their merits, instead of talking about their qualifications, instead of talking about what they have done and the experiences they've had to earn that position. We dismiss it with just the phrase ‘DEI.’"

And Sen. George Dungan said it’s the latest in a series of abstractions designed to scare people.

“When I was running for office, it was CRT, and then it became SEL, and now it's DEI,” Dungan said. "And we continue to hear these arguments that these things are bad, critical race theory, social, emotional learning; diversity, equity, inclusion. I think it's important that we talk about what these things actually mean. We as Nebraskans should cherish the idea of diversity, and we as Nebraskans should cherish the idea of equity, and we as Nebraskans should cherish the idea of inclusion."

Discussion of the topic occupied the entire morning of debate. With the exception of his answers to Spivey, Lippincott did not speak, nor did any of his fellow Republicans. Still, toward the end of the morning, Rountree offered Lippincott an olive branch.

“We have a lot of work to do. We have a lot of legislation. And so with that said, as I get ready to close on this, I want to say Senator Lippincott, I appreciate you. I want to tell you that I need you. I need you. I can't get in the legislation done without all of you. Mr. Speaker, I need you. We need each other to do us right for our Nebraskas,” Rountree said.

The two were later seen chatting under the legislative balcony.

Below are the two pages of Sen. Lippincott's column:

Tuesday afternoon, the Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on Gov. Jim Pillen’s budget proposal. That proposal contemplates sweeping unused funds from a number of programs in order to wipe out a projected $432 million shortfall.

Pillen’s Budget Director Neil Sullivan said funds would have to be transferred to keep property taxes down.

“To at least hold property tax growth even -- bills went down last year, we don't want to see them going back up again next year -- to get that accomplished, we think you need at least $245 million property tax relief,” Sullivan said.

But Bryan Slone, president of the state Chamber of Commerce, said brain drain is a bigger problem, and the state should not transfer funds away from programs like housing aimed at combatting that.

“Sustainable property tax relief is an important priority, but equally important will be a focus and support those programs and legislative efforts targeted, attracting, retaining, educating and connecting young people and young families to our communities and workforce,” Slone said.

The committee will now begin examining the spending proposed for each state agency.

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