A deadlock between state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and the Universities of Wisconsin may be close to a resolution. That from state Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg).
“Speaker Vos has been working hard with the Chancellor and President to come to an agreement involving DEI and wages and the engineering building,” Lemahieu told WRN on Wednesday. “And I think they’re really close to an agreement right now.”
In addition to blocking already budgeted pay raises for UW employees, Republicans rejected funding for a new engineering building on the Madison campus, and have withheld $32 million in state funding as Vos sought to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion positions.
“I think they’re really close to an agreement right now which will be good,” LeMahieu said. “But you know the vast majority of the employees for the UW System have nothing to do with DEI frankly. They’re just coming in doing their job. They’re facing the same inflationary challenges as any other state employee.”
A UW spokesperson said discussions are ongoing, but that an agreement is not imminent.