Republicans launch audit of diversity practices within state agencies
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Lawmakers on the Legislature's Joint Audit Committee approve an audit of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices across all state agencies Tuesday, May 7.
Members of the committee voted along party lines with Republicans in favor and Democrats against auditing diversity programs in state government.
The move was expected after Assembly Speaker Robin Vos pledged in December to root out DEI within the executive branch.
The scope of the audit will review policies enacted by Gov. Tony Evers including how much state agencies are spending on DEI-related practices and their outcomes, according to a memo by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau.
Republicans on the committee defended the decision while Democrats warned it could lead to future cuts they believe may impact the state's ability to attract and retain workers.
"DEI is a neo-Marxian philosophy meant to pit one socially-constructed class against another. When the identities in DEI relate to race or ethnicity, it is nothing short of rebranded ethnic nationalism," said Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay), the co-chair of the committee.
Sen. Tim Carpenter, a Milwaukee Democrat, said the vote was "nothing more than" an attempt by Republicans to "drag up a boogie man to try and get people to think a specific way."
State auditors told lawmakers on the committee the audit will be "large" and could take until 2025 to complete, which could happen around the same time the powerful Joint Finance Committee will begin crafting the next state budget.
Democrats worry Republicans could use the audits findings as leverage during state budget negotiations, a tactic Speaker Vos used last year before reaching a deal with the Universities of Wisconsin to curtail DEI -- in exchange for pay raises for thousands of UW employees approved in the budget.
It ended a months-long feud over diversity initiatives on campus.
Jay Rothman, President of the Universities of Wisconsin, said he's looking forward to what the audit reveals but declined to say whether he's concerned about future budget cuts if Republicans are not satisfied with their efforts.
"I think we need to see where the audit takes us…. and will take it from there so I'm not going to speculate about where this is headed," Rothman said.
After testifying, UW System President Jay Rothman says he's "not going to speculate" whether this audit could be used to make additional DEI cuts in the next state budget. https://t.co/K5RjYFuxZV pic.twitter.com/5Z3XUcsf1r
— Emilee Fannon (@Emilee_Fannon) May 7, 2024