At a public event last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said higher ed would get less funding if they don’t “kick DEI out of their schools,” a few weeks after lawmakers proposed a massive cut to public universities.

The Legislature and lieutenant governor threaten to cut $400 million if colleges and universities do not end diversity initiatives.

The Texas State Senate and House unveiled their proposed 2026-2027 state budgets on Wednesday, neither of which include funding for the higher education institutional enhancement fund which provided the state's universities with $423 million worth of funding in the past two years.