photo by: John Hanna/Associated Press

This photo from Friday, April 12, 2024, shows the sign above the door to the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging inside the main administration building on the main University of Kansas campus in Lawrence, Kan. Republican lawmakers across the U.S. are seeking to restrict diversity initiatives on colleges campuses, arguing that they enforce a liberal orthodoxy.

KU faces no immediate loss of state funding if it declines to comply with a state proviso prohibiting the use of he/she, they/them preferred pronouns in email signature lines, the Journal-World has learned.

A state employee with detailed knowledge of the state budget proviso in question confirmed to the Journal-World that legislators did not attach any funding penalties to the legislation that aims to eliminate diversity and equity programs in all state agencies, including public universities.

Earlier in the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers had proposed withholding $4 million in state funding from the state’s Department of Administration, until the secretary of that department certified that all state agencies had eliminated DEI programs, including the use of preferred pronouns in email signature lines of employees.

But the employee, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the topic, said the proposed $4 million withholding of state funds did not make it into the final budget legislation. The approved budget proviso — which is a seven-paragraph section of the state’s approximately 300-page budget bill — still requires the Secretary of Administration to certify that universities and state agencies have complied with the DEI provision. However, the proviso doesn’t state how that certification is to take place, nor what happens if the secretary is unable to certify that an agency or university has complied.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.