In a recent development, Republican lawmaker Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has called for an extensive review of diversity initiatives across the state government of Wisconsin. This announcement comes after the Legislature's employment committee voted to release $107.6 million to cover a 6% raise for approximately 35,000 employees of the University of Wisconsin (UW) over the next two years.

Vos had previously withheld the release of funds, using it as leverage to combat diversity efforts on campuses. However, he agreed to release the money for raises and construction projects across the university system after the Board of Regents made certain concessions. These concessions included freezing diversity hires, renaming about 40 diversity positions as "student success" positions, and establishing a position at UW-Madison that focuses on conservative thought.

After the regents' vote, Vos, who is white, made it clear that he intends to continue dismantling what he calls "cancerous DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) practices" from UW campuses. He believes that DEI efforts have divided people and aims to create a truly colorblind society. Vos stated that this release of funds is only the first step in a much-needed and thorough review of DEI in all areas of state government, including the Department of Corrections and technical colleges. He left the committee room after the vote, informing reporters that further details might be shared later in the week.

Democratic Governor Tony Evers' spokesperson, Britt Cudaback, has not yet responded to Vos' remarks. However, Senate Democratic Minority Leader Diane Hesselbein, a committee member, strongly criticized Republicans for using employee paychecks as a bargaining chip to advance their anti-diversity agenda. Republican Chris Kapenga, president of the state Senate, was the only committee member to vote against releasing the raises, expressing his desire to eliminate diversity efforts entirely.

It is expected that the Republican-controlled Legislature will vote on bills this spring to provide funding for construction projects, including a new engineering building at UW-Madison, dorm renovations at UW-Whitewater, Vos' alma mater, and demolition projects across the university system totaling $45 million.

The vote, which resolved a six-month battle over the raises, follows the approval of the state budget by Republicans in June, which included funding for the raises. However, Vos had refused to release the money, using it as leverage in his fight against campus diversity initiatives. Finally, an agreement was reached between Vos and UW President Jay Rothman earlier this month, leading to the release of funds. However, this agreement faced intense criticism from students and faculty who believed it was a betrayal of students of color and LGBTQ+ students.

Governor Evers filed a lawsuit with the Wisconsin Supreme Court in October, arguing that lawmakers had exceeded their authority by blocking the raises. Attorney General Josh Kaul, representing the governor, sent a letter to the court emphasizing that the vote to release the raises does not render the case moot. He stated that the court still needs to decide whether legislative committees can block previously approved spending. The raises will be retroactive to July, with a 4% increase, and an additional 2% increase in July 2024.