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Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith Defends Legislative Proposal Against DEI Criticism

Indiana’s Lieutenant Governor, Micah Beckwith, has spoken out against state Senate Democrats who have drawn parallels between a GOP legislative proposal aimed at diminishing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education and the historical Three-Fifths Compromise. In a video shared on social media platform X, Beckwith expressed his discontent with this characterization.

“They were asserting that this bill fosters discrimination akin to the Three-Fifths Compromise,” said Beckwith. “It’s important to clarify that the Three-Fifths Compromise was not a product of discrimination but rather a decision stemming from the political realities of its time.” He encouraged others to explore historical documents to understand the true nature of the compromise, asserting that it was a foundational measure aimed at ensuring justice and equality.

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On April 24, 2025, during a legislative session at the Indiana State Capitol, Beckwith presided over discussions concerning Senate Bill 289, which ultimately passed both legislative chambers and currently awaits the signature of Republican Governor Mike Braun. This bill largely limits DEI programs across K-12 education, charter schools, state agencies, and public universities. It permits lawsuits against institutions that encourage the notion that one race or identity group is inherently superior or inferior to another.

The Republican-endorsed bill, labeled “unlawful discrimination,” mandates transparency for institutions by requiring them to publicly disclose any DEI training. Furthermore, it aims to dismantle university diversity committees and implement various reforms. This legislative effort follows an executive order issued by Braun upon taking office in January, which emphasizes merit-based assessments over DEI considerations.

Critics within the Senate raised concerns, arguing the bill neglects the historical context of discrimination in the United States, referencing the Three-Fifths Compromise, Jim Crow laws, and the systemic issues tied to real estate redlining.

Expanding on the Three-Fifths Compromise, Beckwith contextualized it as a negotiation between Northern and Southern states during a time when the young nation was still forming. “At that time, the states were functioning much like independent nations. There was significant tension between those states,” he noted. The compromise, he argued, was a tactical move to prevent the codification of slavery into the national framework.

Beckwith explained that during the drafting of the Constitution, Southern states viewed slaves as property but still sought to include them in population counts to gain congressional representation. The North countered this proposition by suggesting that if Southern states considered slaves in the census, they should also count their material belongings. This led to the resolution that allowed slaves to be counted as three-fifths of a person, effectively limiting the legislative power of slave-holding states by decreasing the strength of their representation.

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The Three-Fifths Compromise was established during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and was formulated to mitigate the influence Southern states sought by factoring enslaved individuals into their population counts for both taxation and congressional representation. Although it lessened Northern states’ fears of increasing Southern power, it inadvertently afforded those states additional representation in Congress and influence in presidential elections.

The compromise was voided following the Civil War with the passage of the 13th and 14th Amendments, which abolished slavery and guaranteed equal protection under the law.

Beckwith argued that the misconception surrounding the Three-Fifths Compromise is perpetuated by educational narratives that fail to accurately represent the complexities of historical events. He asserted that many historical leaders understood the moral injustices of slavery and acted towards a vision of equality for all individuals.

The passage of the anti-DEI bill in Indiana was marked by a significant majority, with a 64-26 vote in the House and a 34-16 vote in the Senate, demonstrating strong partisan alignment as it awaits Governor Braun’s final approval.

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