RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Senate Republicans got one step closer on Wednesday to removing what they call "divisive concepts" and "discriminatory practices" from public colleges and universities, like the UNC system. “These divisive concepts and these discriminatory practices have divided our cam puses, divided our student bodies, divided our faculty, along lines that are unnecessary and unproductive,” Senator Brad Overcash, a sponsor of the bill, said. Senate Bill 558 is titled “Eliminating ‘DEI’ in Public Higher Education,” but a definition of DEI is nowhere in the bill. That’s something state Democrats take issue with. Republicans amended the bill on Wednesday to also bar institutions from creating a reporting system for offensive or harmful speech. Democrats say the bill would unfairly impact scholarships and college acceptances while also silencing important conversations around race, gender, and history. “I think we begin to weaken the system because it’s been doing a good job, and this is almost an insult to the system,” Senator Gladys Robinson said. Other opposers of the bill say sponsors never asked students for their input on a bill that would impact them the most. “If you’re going to give them guns at 18, and concealed weapons at 18, you should be talking to them about these types of bills,” Mark Swallow with Democracy Out Loud said. “It is critical to prepare educators and students rights to talk about race and gender in schools, limiting when and how these conversations can occur runs counter to principles of free speech,” Reighlah Collins with the ACLU said. While the bill doesn’t define DEI, it does ban any and all DEI offices or jobs. The bill has moved to the next committee. ...read more read less