Wisconsin Assembly to Review Diversity and Inclusion Efforts After GOP Vows to Eliminate Initiatives
The Wisconsin Assembly’s audit committee has voted to conduct a comprehensive review of diversity and inclusion efforts across state government. This decision comes after Republican leaders in the Assembly vowed to eliminate equity initiatives, citing concerns about costs and outcomes. The review will include cabinet-level agencies, other executive branch agencies, the state Department of Justice, and the state university system.
The audit was initiated after State Auditor Joe Chrisman sent a memo to committee members outlining the potential benefits of the review, including identifying compliance with executive orders, quantifying costs, and assessing outcomes.
Conservative lawmakers across the country have been working to limit diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, with Republican lawmakers in about two dozen states filing bills this year to restrict such efforts. Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who is white, has pledged to end diversity efforts in state government, saying that such initiatives are “cancerous” and that he wants a society that is “truly colorblind.”
Democratic Governor Tony Evers has signed an executive order requiring each state agency to create and monitor equity and inclusion plans, leading to concerns among Republicans about the cost and effectiveness of these initiatives.