Here & Now

Lawmakers Cut UW System Budget, Targeting Diversity Staffing

Frederica Freyberg:

The question tonight, could Governor Tony Evers veto the entire state budget over cuts made to the University of Wisconsin budget? The Joint Finance Committee late this week voted to cut $32 million from the UW system operating budget along with 188 positions to target diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Governor Evers had threatened to veto the budget in the event of such cuts. Budget writers also voted to approve a $3.5 billion income tax cut, the largest reductions for people in higher income brackets like married joint filers making more than $405,000 of income. Evers has said he opposes the top bracket tax cut. Republicans herald the cuts as they wrapped up budget work sending it on to the legislature.

Howard Marklein:

We believe this is a historic budget. We invest historic amounts of money in our core priorities while also providing for a historic tax cut, largest tax cut in history.

Tip McGuire:

It is misguided priorities entirely that we’ve seen up and down this budget and the fact that people are going to lose their jobs and multi-millionaires are going to make an additional $1.8 million because of this is an absolute shame.