Massachusetts lawmakers are advancing legislation to establish a permanent Muslim commission tasked with identifying and recommending American Muslims for appointed state government positions, a move that places the blue state on a collision course with President Donald Trump’s ongoing effort to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the federal government.
The proposed bill, Senate Bill S.2134, would create an 11-member panel appointed by Democratic Governor Maura Healey and other state officials to represent the Islamic faith on matters such as business, healthcare, and the economy. The commission would also “identify and recommend qualified American Muslims for appointive positions at all levels of government, including boards and commissions, as the commission considers necessary and appropriate,” according to the bill language.
Democratic state Senator Jamie Eldridge, the bill’s primary sponsor, said: “Massachusetts has always prided itself on being a leader in equality and civil rights, a legacy this bill builds upon.” He added: “American Muslims in my district and across the Commonwealth enrich our communities as students, healthcare workers, educators, small business owners, and civic leaders. This commission will help the state better understand and address the challenges they face, while strengthening inclusion and civic participation.”
The bill has cleared initial committee markups and now sits in the state’s Senate Ways and Means Committee. Muslims account for an estimated 2 to 3 percent of Massachusetts’ population, based on approximate figures from Pew Research Center and the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Massachusetts initiative comes as President Trump has made cutting DEI programs a central priority of his administration. White House spokesperson Allison Shuster told Fox News Digital: “President Trump was resoundingly elected with a mandate to end divisive, racist policies and restore merit and efficiency. DEI ran rampant during the Biden Administration, and Americans ultimately paid the price for these destructive policies with a restricted labor pool, higher operational costs, and workforce inefficiencies.” Shuster added: “The Trump Administration will always promote equal treatment under the law for every American, regardless of race or ethnicity.”
The Trump administration has terminated federal DEI-related contracts and eliminated DEI programs across the federal government. Part of the president’s initiative during his first 100 days, working with the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, has been to end programs that prioritize hiring and representation based on applicants’ protected classes. Many Republicans, including the president and Musk, have characterized DEI as “reverse discrimination” that provides unfair preferences against majority groups.
Governor Healey’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the legislation. The standoff between the state-level push for representation and federal efforts to roll back identity-based hiring policies highlights the deepening partisan divide over DEI programs. If passed, the Massachusetts Muslim commission would become one of the first permanent state bodies focused specifically on Muslim representation in government appointments, potentially serving as a model for other Democratic-led states seeking to preserve diversity initiatives in the face of federal opposition.
The bill’s progression through the legislature will be closely watched by both supporters of DEI measures and critics who argue that such programs undermine the principle of merit-based hiring. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has signaled it will continue to target DEI policies in the private sector and at state and local levels wherever federal funding or jurisdiction allows.
