Key Takeaways Key Takeaways

In October 2019, hundreds of Idaho business leaders gathered in a Boise State University ballroom for an annual diversity, equity and inclusion summit. Speakers insisted that DEI programs were crucial to state’s effort to attract a diverse workforce, especially in competitive industries.

Even then there were rumblings and defunding threats from state Republican lawmakers who took issue with the initiatives, including many programs meant to support students of color and LGBTQ students. But the summit forged on with the support and financial backing of prominent Boise businesses including Micron, St. Luke’s, Simplot and Boise Cascade.

Many of those businesses, once among the state’s most vocal advocates for corporate inclusivity, are quietly retreating fr

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