Huffines Bars Taxpayer Funding for Discriminatory DEI Programs, Putting Texas Taxpayers First

Texas Comptroller Don Huffines is taking action to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to fund discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, delivering another victory for government accountability and equal treatment under the law.

On October 15, Comptroller Huffines announced an executive order prohibiting taxpayer funding through the Texas Comptroller’s office from supporting discriminatory DEI initiatives. Under the new policy, contractors and grant recipients must certify that their work for the state does not involve discriminatory DEI practices. The Comptroller’s office is also incorporating provisions allowing agreements to be terminated if recipients violate these requirements.

The Texas Comptroller’s office explained that the new executive order applies to contracts and grants administered through the agency. Contractors and grant recipients must certify that their work for the state does not involve discriminatory DEI and that they comply with applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

The order defines discriminatory DEI as disparate treatment based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, sex, or national origin in areas such as recruiting, hiring, contracting, program participation, or the use of state resources.

The Comptroller’s office also made clear that programs providing preferences based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, or national origin will not be eligible for taxpayer support under the policy.

“The radical left turned diversity, equity, and inclusion into a racket, and taxpayers got stuck with the bill,” Huffines said in the official announcement. He added that discriminatory DEI practices sort Texans by skin color and sex, undermine merit, and direct money toward consultants who produce little value for taxpayers.

This is the kind of accountability Texas taxpayers should expect from their elected and appointed officials. Government contracts and grants are not blank checks. Organizations receiving public money must follow the law and use those funds for legitimate public purposes.

The issue is especially important when public money is involved. Private organizations make their own decisions within the boundaries of the law, but government agencies have a special obligation to ensure that public resources are administered lawfully and responsibly.

In January 2026, Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a legal opinion challenging DEI policies across Texas government. The opinion argued that numerous government DEI frameworks and race- and sex-based preferences violate constitutional protections and applicable law.

Paxton’s opinion and Huffines’ executive order approach the issue from different legal and administrative directions. Paxton offered a broad legal analysis of DEI practices, while Huffines is establishing contractual conditions for grants and agreements administered through his agency.

Together, these actions reflect a broader effort by Texas officials to ensure that government programs comply with anti-discrimination requirements and that public funds are not used to support unlawful preferences.

Since taking office in August 2026, Huffines has emphasized reducing waste, improving transparency, and ensuring that public resources serve Texans rather than expanding bureaucracy. His office has also launched performance reviews of selected school districts to examine whether education dollars are being spent responsibly and reaching students, teachers, and classrooms. The Comptroller’s office has described those reviews as an effort to identify wasteful or inappropriate spending and report findings to lawmakers and the public.

Texas should remain a state where people are judged by their character, qualifications, and contributions, not by race or sex. And when Texans send their hard-earned money to Austin, they should be confident that it is being used to serve the public fairly and responsibly.