Prescott area State Senator Mark Finchem renewed his objection to the March 2025 General Plan draft in a letter to the Prescott City Council, arguing it includes diversity, equity, and inclusion-related language that exceeds the proper scope of a land-use document.
In his letter to Mayor Cathey Rusing and the City Council, Finchem wrote that he was “shocked to see the inclusion of DEI language” in the plan. He described it as resembling “Marxist class struggle,” with DEI often dividing society into oppressors and oppressed, and raised concerns about class-like framing, conflict-driven change, and collectivism.
Finchem’s letter to the Prescott City Council listed several potential downsides of including such language, including reverse discrimination, tokenism, polarization and division, suppression of free speech, resource misallocation, perceived inequity, and backlash and resentment. He urged the council to revert to the 2015 plan’s narrower approach, adjusted only for new state statutes, and avoid what he called Green New Deal, or “ESG,” elements and DEI.
A review of the March 2025 draft shows the plan includes a statement, paraphrased here, that the city intends for people of all ages, races, and disabilities to use Prescott’s land and amenities without facing discrimination or harassment. It promotes housing diversity for various household types, generational balance, accessibility, and economic prosperity, but does not include specific DEI programs, quotas, mandatory training, or references to class framing, collectivism, or the other concerns Finchem raised.
Continue reading: https://kyca.info/2026/01/22/state-senator-finchem-criticizes-prescott-general-plan-over-dei/