State Rep. Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia) today testified before the Government Operations Committee on a bipartisan bill, House Bill 4288, introduced by Rep. Erin Byrnes (D-Dearborn) to eliminate DEI hiring for state employees. Under Rep. Byrnes’ new system, state employees would be hired exclusively on merit.

“State government should be hiring people based on whether they can do the job well,” Rigas testified. “We’re putting merit and qualifications back at the heart of state government hiring.”

The bill is a reintroduction of Rigas’ merit-based plan to eliminate DEI hiring last legislative term.

“I’m so excited that my friend from the 15^th District, Representative Erin Byrnes, who represents Dearborn, reintroduced my bill from last year,” Rigas told the committee. “It’s high time we stop wasting money on DEI programs that divide people and start hiring based on what really matters: qualifications and performance. I’m so happy the Democrats have come to the side of common sense over activism.”

Byrnes’ bill passed the Government Operations Committee Thursday morning with unanimous bipartisan support and is now headed to the House floor. Rigas believes this is the beginning of a major cultural shift against unfair hiring practices and left-wing identity politics.

“I want to thank our colleagues in the Democrat Caucus, especially Rep. Byrnes, for putting aside partisan differences in agreeing that DEI has no place in state hiring practices,” Rigas said. “It takes a lot of maturity to admit that their party was wrong on a core issue, and I am glad they’re aligning with President Trump’s vision for a greater America based on merit, not skin color.”

###