Vos Republicans plan to punish UW, again! Adopt fabricated MAGA policies attacking Equity and Diversity or lose funding.

Apparently, Republicans denying state funding for the expansion of the job creating engineering department due to high demand, wasn’t enough of an economic killer for the state. 

The UW-Madison College of Engineering receives some 8,000 applicants annually but only has the space and teaching resources to accept about 1,200. The $347 million building would allow the state flagship to graduate at least 1,000 more undergraduate engineers annually, as well as hire more faculty and expand research.

This isn’t really an Issue: Now the ridiculously gerrymandered Republican majority wants to spew their party’s racism and bigotry into the UW System by banning equity and inclusion. It’s still surreal to think anyone would be against equity and inclusion, but hey, their MAGA voters will buy into anything. So, bring out the torches and pitchforks for their latest fabricated outrage.

Keep in mind, Republicans have always found some way to punish the UW System, the state’s economic engine, for its liberal reputation. So, why the labor shortage? Gee, I don’t know…  

The fight this year centers on issues of free speech and UW’s work to advance diversity and racial equity. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he wants to cut all funding the university system would use for diversity initiatives. 

“I want the university to grow and succeed, but if they are obsessed with spending all the scarce dollars that they have on programs that are clearly divisive and offer little public good, I don’t know why we’d want to support that.” Republican lawmakers this year have proposed more than 30 bills in 12 states to limit diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in higher education. 

The horror, right? Maybe we should limit all those “diverse” right-wing speakers and topics at the UW? Cuts both ways.

Democratic Sen. Kelda Roys said. “The UW is the economic engine of the state. Making any cuts to the UW, especially politically motivated ones, is just going to harm every person in this state.”

How bad can it get, and who will eventually pay for this? Parents and students. Sweet. “Come to Wisconsin?” Dream on.

UW regents asked the Legislature for a total spending increase of nearly $436 million in state money over the next two years, citing low revenue from a decade long tuition freeze and rising costs due to inflation. Vos said the budget committee plans to reject that request. Tuesday’s vote could leave the UW System nearly half a billion dollars short of what school officials say they need.

A former liberal radio talk host who likes to ask the “follow-up question” at Democurmudgeon.blogspot.com