Wisconsin Republican Takes On DEI In Universities And Wins

After a seven-month battle, a Republican lawmaker scored a big win in battling the left’s woke Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at the University of Wisconsin last month.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-WI) has made it his mission to deal with DEI policies around the state, saying that the policies in universities were more about indoctrinating students rather than teaching them, according to Zero Hedge.

“People also don’t fully appreciate how this is like a cancer,” Vos said of DEI policies. “It’s the worst possible thing for our democracy.”

Last month, university officials agreed to cut its DEI policies, freezing the amount of DEI staff and other University of Wisconsin administrative positions for the next three years. Republicans that the money would go towards pay raises for at least 34,000 UW employees and building projects around the university.

The University of Wisconsin, Madison will also work with the Republican’s proposal to automatically admit the top 5% of graduating seniors from Wisconsin high schools, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. The other 12 college campuses will automatically admit the top 10% of graduating seniors.

For decades, the left has supported DEI programs, claiming that such programs are needed because minority students are underprivileged.

Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty Deputy Counsel Dan Lennington disagrees. He said that the agreement between Vos and the University of Wisconsin is “an incremental victory for equality,” but there is more work to be done.

“Just because someone has a certain racial background does not mean that they are marginalized,” Lennington said. “Just because someone has parents who come from a certain country doesn’t mean that they are disadvantaged. Just because some student has a certain color of skin doesn’t mean that they are entitled to certain specific presumptions that they’re going to fail, or they can’t succeed unless the government treats them as a member of a certain racial group. That’s the racialization of our educational system. That’s illegal.”

Many have called Vos’ win a win for conservatives because Wisconsin is a purple state, meaning that it is a mix of blue due to its Democratic governor and red with its Republican-controlled state assembly and senate.

“The one thing that I have learned, the more I’ve done this, is that I have total respect for people who fight for the conservative cause,” said Vos.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) however, criticized the deal, stating that he would not sign or support legislation cutting DEI programs and would veto the bill.