JEFFERSON CITY — Work on annual appropriations bills in the Senate ground to a halt Tuesday over the question of a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The House approved language banning diversity, equity and inclusion requirements by state agencies in the appropriations bills it approved. That language was stripped out of the bills by the Senate Appropriations Committee last week with a decision that the language was not proper in an appropriations bill.

But as Appropriations Chair Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, brought the state education appropriations bill up for consideration, Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, offered an amendment reinstating the DEI ban language.

The DEI wording originally added in the House by Rep. Doug Richey, R-Excelsior Springs, had broad language banning the use of any state funds for any “staffing, vendors, consultants, or programs associated with” any diversity, equity and inclusion plan.

The amendment would have banned “any other initiative which similarly promotes: 1) the preferential treatment of any individual or group of individuals based upon race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, national origin, or ancestry; 2) the concept that disparities are necessarily tied to oppression; 3) collective guilt ideologies; 4) intersectional or divisive identity activism; or, 5) the limiting of freedom of conscience, thought, or speech.”

Hoskins said his amendment restricts the ban to state agencies. The broader approach in the House language had been opposed by business leaders and the state agencies.

Hoskins defended his amendment on the floor.

“The new attorney general, Attorney General (Andrew) Bailey, reviewed this language that’s on the amendment, and said ‘it is good with case law,’” Hoskins said. “This language isn’t new.”

Several Senate Republicans on the Appropriations Committee were called to the floor individually by Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, who supported the amendment to ask where they stood on the effort to ban DEI requirements. A number of them split with him on the issue, saying they supported a ban but didn’t think the appropriations bill was the appropriate place to address the issue.

Sen. Karla Eslinger, R-Wasola, highlighted her concerns with the amendment: “I do have hesitation when it comes to pushing this through a budget when we have the opportunity to have it through statute and have the same outcome.”

Eigel took a strong stance in favor of the amendment, saying the use of DEI requirements is a subjective assessment “driven by a very partisan agenda that is outrageously out of step with the people of this state.”

Other Senate Republicans spoke out in support of the Hoskins’ amendment. After two hours of debate a procedural ruling by Senate Pro Tempore Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, forced the amendment to be withdrawn.

Hoskins then offered an even more focused amendment banning DEI requirements on a specific aspect of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education spending.

That renewed the debate, which continued past 9 p.m. The amendment was defeated and the Senate began working through other details of the school funding bill.