AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced Tuesday that the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) will no longer do business with entities that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, calling them discriminatory and contrary to civil rights laws.
Miller’s directive follows an executive order signed last week by former President Donald Trump, who pledged to eliminate DEI initiatives at the federal level. The Texas commissioner framed his decision as a response to what he described as harmful policies that undermine merit-based success.
“During the four years of the Biden administration, these dangerous policies were allowed to infect all aspects of our federal government, major corporations, financial institutions, the medical industry, and institutions of higher education,” Miller said.
The commissioner characterized DEI initiatives as a departure from traditional American values and said his office would take immediate action to ensure taxpayer dollars are not directed to businesses or organizations that maintain such policies.
“DEI policies are a slap in the face to every citizen who seeks to build a better life for themselves and their family through hard work, ingenuity and merit,” he said. “The Texas Department of Agriculture will not allow taxpayer dollars to be directed to those institutions that fail to comply with our civil rights laws and continue to promote DEI policies.”
Effective immediately, Miller has instructed TDA staff to cease contracting with vendors or subcontractors that implement DEI policies based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or national origin.
“The people of Texas and the rest of the country spoke loudly and clearly and said they had enough of this DEI nonsense,” Miller said, adding that he supports efforts by Trump and the U.S. Department of Justice to eliminate the policies. “I am going to do my part in ridding it from Texas.”
The move is expected to draw criticism from civil rights groups and organizations that support DEI initiatives, which proponents argue are necessary to address systemic inequities in workplaces and educational institutions. Miller, however, maintains that such policies promote division rather than inclusion.
Miller, a longtime ally of Trump, has led the Texas Department of Agriculture since 2015 and has frequently positioned himself as a staunch conservative voice on state and national issues.
