Wisconsin GOP Leader Ends Negotiations with University over Pay Raises and Diversity Deal, UW Regents Reject $800M DEI Initiative

Wisconsin's top Republican lawmaker, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, has announced that he is no longer negotiating with the Universities of Wisconsin over a deal that would have provided pay raises for university employees and funded the construction of a new engineering building in exchange for reductions in staff positions focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The deal was rejected by the UW Board of Regents, prompting Vos to state that he will not make any changes to the agreement. Governor Tony Evers supports the regents' decision but wants negotiations to continue, while Vos insists that the deal must be enforced or funding for pay raises and the engineering building will not be approved.