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Wisconsin's top Republican lawmaker said Monday that he is finished negotiating with the Universities of Wisconsin over a deal that would have given the university system's employees a pay raise and paid for the construction of a new engineering building in exchange for reductions in staff positions focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.
The UW Board of Regents rejected the deal in a hastily called special meeting on Saturday after regents voiced concerns about its targeting of DEI efforts. The fight in Wisconsin comes amid a broader cultural battle playing out across the nation over college diversity initiatives.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who reached the deal with UW President Jay Rothman, said Monday on WISN-AM that he hopes the regents will reconsider, but that he's not open to making any changes.
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"This deal was negotiated in good faith," Vos said. "We’re not changing one thing in this deal. We are not going backwards. If anything, I’d prefer to go forward. But a deal is a deal, you’ve got to keep your word. This is not forever. If they want to walk away, they can walk away."
Wisconsin Speaker of the Assembly Robin Vos speaks during a news conference on Sept. 18, 2023, at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Vos said Dec. 11, 2023, that he is finished negotiating with the Universities of Wisconsin over a deal that would have given the system's employees a pay raise and paid for the construction of a new engineering building in exchange for reductions in staff positions focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, file)
Neither Rothman nor UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin immediately responded to Monday requests for comment.
The regents said Monday that they would hold a closed-door meeting on Tuesday to "deliberate and negotiate funding proposals and matters."
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Saturday said he supported the regents' decision but wanted the negotiations to continue. In the meantime, he called on the Legislature to release funding for the pay raises and engineering building. Evers' spokeswoman, Britt Cudaback, referred to those comments Monday when asked to react to Vos' statements.
Vos said there was "zero chance" of him softening his position.
"I will do everything in my power to make sure we enforce this deal or wait until the next budget to talk about it again," Vos said. "We are not going to give the raises. We are not going to approve these new building programs. We are not going to approve the new money for the university unless they at least pass this deal."
UW leaders negotiated with Vos and other Republican lawmakers for months on the deal that was released publicly on Friday. Rothman urged the regents to accept it, calling it a fair compromise.
At its core, the deal would have allowed for 4% pay raises for all 35,000 UW employees to take effect retroactive to July 1 when they were supposed to start. The pay increases were approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature in the state budget that was signed into law by Evers.
But those raises would also need to be approved by a GOP-controlled legislative committee. Vos has blocked them as he's attempted to reduce university positions dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Evers, in response, has filed a lawsuit with the Wisconsin Supreme Court arguing that the Legislature had overstepped its constitutional authority by blocking the raises.
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Under the deal, in addition to the pay raises, the university would get funding for a variety of construction projects, most notably about $200 million to build a new engineering building on the flagship UW-Madison campus. That project was a top priority for the university and was backed by the state's business community. But Republicans did not fund it.
The deal also called for the university system to freeze hiring for DEI positions through the end of 2026 and shift at least 43 current DEI positions to focus on "student success." The system also would have eliminated any statements supporting diversity on student applications. The deal also would have dropped an affirmative action faculty hiring program at UW-Madison and created a position focused on conservative thought.
Vos on Monday said he wanted to get rid of all DEI positions at UW.
Also under the deal, UW-Madison would have been forced to accept applicants who finish in the top 5% of their class at a Wisconsin high school. Applicants who finish in the top 10% of their class at a Wisconsin high school would have been guaranteed admission at regional campuses.
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