Wisconsin Republican Lawmakers Take Aim at DEI Programs, Slash U. Wisconsin System Budget by $32 Million
“The university should have already chosen to redirect it to something that is more productive and more broadly supported”
This is an update to a story we recently highlighted. Are House Republicans paying attention? This is a good thing.
Campus Reform reports:
UPDATE: Wisconsin Republicans cut DEI spending, slash UW budget by $32m
Wisconsin Republican state lawmakers announced Thursday that the University of Wisconsin System budget will be cut by $32 million, after raising concerns that the system’s focus on the ‘new religion’ of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion was leading to wasteful spedning.
On DEI personnel salaries alone, the school system spends almost $16 million annually, but that does not include resources allocated to other DEI initiatives integrated into UW institutions.
Earlier this month, Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos indicated that he expected the GOP-led legislature to cut all funding that the university system would use for DEI causes, at an estimate of $32 million.
“The university should have already chosen to redirect it to something that is more productive and more broadly supported,” Vos stated.
In a recent press conference, Vos blasted DEI as the Democrats’ “new religion.”
“They no longer go to church on Sunday, but boy, are they trying to make sure everybody is evangelized on campus, that’s there only one acceptable viewpoint,” he said. “That’s not what I think taxpayers should be funding.”
Vos has previously suggested university DEI offices create “even more divisions than we’ve had in the past.”
In a radio interview last month, Vos said, “I frankly think we have gotten to the point where instead of having an institute of higher learning, we have an institute of indoctrination.”
In opposition to Republican legislators, UW President Jay Rothman recently hired Monica Smith as chief diversity officer with a salary of $225,000.
Rothman has even threatened to raise tuition costs or close UW campuses should the school system’s budget be cut.
Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor Tony Evers recently announced that he will not sign the state budget if Republicans eliminate any funding for DEI programs.
After Republican-controlled finance committee decided to suspend the vote after failing to come to an agreement on June 11, a UW spokesperson told Campus Reform that the school system was “optimistic” a deal will be reached to fund “high demand fields” like nursing and engineering.
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Comments
It may be necessary to tear down the university and rebuild it to get rid of DEI stuff. But it will never be right otherwise.