Rep. Yunker: Discriminatory education bills, not fair, not legal.

By Oregon State Representative Dwayne Yunker

March 27, 2025 —Representative Dwayne Yunker (R-Grants Pass) released a statement today about two controversial bills heard in the House Higher Education Committee, where he serves as a member. The bills—House Bill 3006 and House Bill 3030—would give public money only to teacher candidates from specific racial or ethnic groups and the schools who hire on this basis.

“These bills don’t treat people equally,” said Representative Yunker. “They decide who gets help based on race. That’s not fair, and it’s not legal.”

Both bills would create state-funded programs that give scholarships and hiring incentives based on Oregon’s definition of “diverse,” which includes certain racial and ethnic backgrounds. But many Oregonians—no matter how qualified—would be left out just because they don’t fit the label.

“This is discrimination, plain and simple,” Representative Yunker said. “And the worst part? The sponsors are trying to hide the bills’ intent with amendments to make the language more opaque.”

Legal experts have already warned lawmakers that these race-based programs would likely be struck down in court for violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. A nearly identical state program was quietly shut down last year after a white teacher sued and won.

“During today’s hearing, my fellow committee member Representative Munoz actually said she’s ‘concerned that the teachers in the classroom don’t look like her,’” said Representative Yunker. “That’s not how we should be deciding who gets to teach our kids. Teachers should be hired because they’re great at teaching—not because they look like someone.”

The bills could also put $1.6 billion in federal education funding at risk, since federal law bans discrimination in any program receiving federal money.

“We should be helping all future educators succeed—not picking winners and losers based on race,” said Representative Yunker.