Republicans Vote to Cut University of Wisconsin System’s Budget by $32 Million in Diversity Programs Spat

An outside view of Bascom Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., on Oct. 12, 2013. Mike McGinnis/Getty Images

MADISON, Wis.— Republican lawmakers voted to cut the University of Wisconsin (UW) System’s budget by $32 million on Thursday despite a projected record-high $7 billion state budget surplus, leaving the university nearly half a billion dollars short of what it requested.

The cut comes in reaction to Republican anger over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs on the system’s 13 universities. Republican leaders have said the $32 million is what they estimated would be spent on those programs over the next two years.