{"id":184190,"date":"2026-03-09T14:17:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T14:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/184190\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T14:17:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T14:17:09","slug":"st-pete-mayor-ken-welch-comes-out-against-anti-dei-bills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/184190\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch comes out against anti-DEI bills"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"St.St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch on March 22, 2024. Credit: cityofstpete \/ Flickr<\/a><\/p>\n

Bills on the House and Senate floors banning diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in local government are raising alarms among local leaders across the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Florida mayors and local commissioners gathered to speak out against the bill.<\/p>\n

House Bill 1001<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Senate Bill 1134<\/a>\u00a0ban counties and municipalities from funding and promoting anything relating to DEI.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The bills defines diversity, equity, and inclusion as \u201ctraining, programming, or activities\u201d designed or referring\u00a0 to race, color, sex, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation<\/p>\n

If a local official does partake, they could be removed from office and face litigation.<\/p>\n

This story first appeared at WMNF news<\/a>, which is part of the Tampa Bay Journalism Project (TBJP), a nascent Creative Loafing Tampa Bay effort supported by grants and a coalition of donors who make specific contributions via the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation<\/a>. If you are a non-paywalled Bay area publication or donor interested in Tampa Bay Journalism Project<\/a>, please email rroa@ctampa.com<\/a>. Support WMNF News by visiting the community radio station\u2019s station\u2019s support page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch joined leaders from Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee, Fernandina Beach, and more, calling it dangerous and undemocratic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could impact existing programs that support women and religious communities, and could even restrict, as has been said, celebrations for certain ethnic groups like St. Patrick\u2019s Day, not to mention Black heritage, Hispanic heritage, and Pride,\u201d Welch said.<\/p>\n

Dean Trantalis is the mayor of Fort Lauderdale.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis past weekend, my community celebrated Black History Month with a parade. And I was one of the Grand Marshalls. So I would have been denied the right to stand on a float and to go down one of the streets in our community, of an African-American dominated community, as part of the celebration of Black History Month.\u201d Trantalis said.<\/p>\n

Other local officials worried the cancellation of DEI events, like cultural heritage festivals, could result in the loss of billions for Florida\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n

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This article appears in Mar. 05 \u2013 11, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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