Nearly 200 diversity, equity, and inclusion jobs at the University of Wisconsin are safe after Governor Evers’ latest budget vetoes.
The governor signed the new, 99-billion dollar state budget yesterday, and issued over 50 vetoes to change the plan. One of those vetoes protected the 188 DEI jobs that Republican lawmakers wanted to eliminate. The governor did not restore the 32 million-dollar shift that lawmakers ordered, mainly because that money can be spent in other ways. The university yesterday said the budget shows the governor’s commitment to higher education.
Governor Evers also yesterday sliced-out the three-and-a-half billion dollars in tax cut that Republicans worked into the budget, and changed a zero to create a funding increase for public schools for the next 400 years. The governor said he ‘improved’ the budget.
On the other side, Republican lawmakers say the governor used his immense veto powers to impose tax increases on middle class families across the state. It’s not clear if the governor’s 400-year school funding increase will stand, that’s a question that will likely be taken-up by the courts.
