January 1, Texas Democrat’s Bill Would Have Created Jobs for His DEI Consulting Firm

Wyatt’s Take

• James Talarico pushed a bill that would have forced big school districts to hire DEI officers while he was working for a DEI consulting firm.
• The timing and details raise serious questions about whether he stood to gain from the very policies he tried to make law.
• Texas voters deserve transparency and leaders who put kids first, not consultants looking for new government paychecks.

While serving in the Texas House, Democrat James Talarico introduced legislation that would have required large school districts to hire diversity, equity, and inclusion officers.

The bill arrived during the same period Talarico worked as a consultant for MAYA Consulting, a firm that openly described its work as rooted in DEI principles.

“Much of our work is rooted in our diversity, equity, and inclusion philosophy. As part of this work, we often discuss how to tear down systems of oppression and white supremacy culture,” the company posted on its blog in 2021.

The proposed law would have forced districts with more than 5,000 students to employ a DEI officer tasked with addressing “systemic inequities” and pushing DEI training.

At the time, 193 school districts would have fallen under the new mandate.

“Much of our work is rooted in our diversity, equity, and inclusion philosophy. As part of this work, we often discuss how to tear down systems of oppression and white supremacy culture,” the company posted on its blog in 2021.

MAYA Consulting, now called VIDA, had already contracted with school districts for explicit DEI work, including seminars and high-paid strategic guidance.

Talarico’s financial disclosure shows he received $83,333 from the firm in 2025 alone.

“The relationship to MAYA was fully disclosed in compliance with Texas House rules,” a campaign spokesman told Fox News.

Talarico voted against multiple efforts to remove DEI from Texas schools and public institutions.

His campaign did not respond to requests for additional comment.

Wyatt Matters

Parents send their kids to school to learn reading, math, and responsibility, not to fund consultants who profit from division and grievance. When lawmakers push policies that line the pockets of their own employers, trust in government erodes and working families pay the price.