At first glance, nothing seemed exceptional about Thursday’s agenda for a Texas House subcommittee meeting: It was focused on budget recommendations from different state agencies, including The Texas Water Development Board.
But this usually routine part of the state’s budget cycle caused an uproar after Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) steered the meeting toward the hiring practices at TWDB, an organization chaired by a Black woman. In a tense exchange that brought Chairwoman L'Oreal Stepney to tears, Harrison questioned whether the board’s practices were going against Gov. Greg Abbott's January executive order that directed state agencies to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
During the back and forth — which lasted more than 15 minutes — Stepney repeatedly defended TWDB’s hiring process to Harrison and fellow committee members, stressing that the agency has complied with the governor’s orders. But Harrison continued pressing, eventually reading language from the agency’s strategic plan.
“As society in general becomes more diverse the TWDB workforce must mirror this diversity,” read Harrison.
Harrison then asked about DEI practices within the board’s procurement contracts. After extended testimony on the subject, Stepney broke down in tears, then defended her resume and decades of government service.
“I don’t mind tough questions. I never get this emotional,” said Stepney. “I enjoy being a public servant. It is my life’s calling.”
The exchange first drew attention after being shared by The Quorum Report, which describes itself as “a non-partisan newsletter focusing on Texas politics and government.”
While Rep. Harrison seemed to be pushing for compliance with Abbott’s recent executive order, the governor and other top Republican leaders in Texas were quick to defend Stepney after the video started gaining traction online.
“Water is one of the most important issues that the State of Texas will address this session,” Abbott said in an X post Thursday evening. “There is no one better and no one I have more confidence in to lead and implement our water solutions than TWDB Chairwoman L'Oreal Stepney.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also posted on X a few hours later, saying he’d “talked to Texas Water Development Board Chairwoman L'Oreal Stepney tonight and told her she is one of the most respected, experienced, and talented water experts in the nation.”
“She has served Texas for 33 years,” concluded Patrick’s post, which was shared by Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican.
The exchange comes as the Trump administration has put a focus on eliminating what it has called "illegal DEI and 'diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility' (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government.”
Critics of the president — and other Republican leaders who’ve followed his lead — have pointed out that DEI hiring practices are not simply race-based, they also include, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age and socioeconomic class, physical ability, veteran status, and whether or not someone has kids.
Copyright 2025 KUT 90.5