Current:Home > ContactWisconsin lawmakers to vote on constitutional amendment to limit diversity efforts -GrowthProspect
Wisconsin lawmakers to vote on constitutional amendment to limit diversity efforts
View
Date:2025-04-26 06:51:35
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A constitutional amendment supported by Republicans that attempts to limit diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in Wisconsin was up for its first vote in the Legislature on Thursday.
The measure up for Assembly approval is the latest effort targeting DEI efforts nationwide, but it is a long way from becoming law in Wisconsin. It must also pass the Senate this year and then the full Legislature next session before it would go to a statewide vote to be added to the Wisconsin Constitution.
Wisconsin Republicans have been proposing more constitutional amendments because they don’t require a sign off from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. He has vetoed more bills than any other governor in state history, serving as a block on the agenda of Republicans who have strong majorities in the Legislature.
The proposal up for a vote Thursday would prohibit state and local governments, including the Universities of Wisconsin and local school districts, from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to anybody on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. It requires hiring decisions to be based on “merit, fairness and equality,” a term conservatives have used as a counter to DEI.
Conservative backers of the constitutional amendment say the programs are discriminatory and promote left-wing ideology. Democratic supporters say the programs are necessary for ensuring institutions and government meet the needs of increasingly diverse populations.
The Wisconsin measure is modeled after a state constitutional amendment adopted in Michigan in 2006 and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, Republican authors of the proposal said.
The amendment is designed not to be in conflict with federal law, saying that it does not prohibit any action that must be taken to maintain eligibility for any federal program. There are numerous federal laws that already prohibit discrimination based on sex, race, color, nationality or religion.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative law firm, is the only registered supporter of the amendment in Wisconsin. The only registered opponents are the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and the National Association of Social Workers.
Consideration of the amendment comes after Universities of Wisconsin agreed, under a narrowly approved deal reached with Republicans, to limit DEI positions throughout the system. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos called the deal the first step toward eliminating what he called “cancerous DEI practices” and requested a review of diversity initiatives across state government.
veryGood! (418)
Related
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- AP Week in Pictures: Asia
- Slammed by interest rates, many Americans can't afford their car payments
- Vanessa Hudgens’ Dark Vixen Bachelorette Party Is the Start of Something New With Fiancé Cole Tucker
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Man indicted on murder charge 23 years after girl, mother disappeared in West Virginia
- AP PHOTOS: Pan American Games bring together Olympic hopefuls from 41 nations
- Gulf oil lease sale postponed by court amid litigation over endangered whale protections
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- What happened during the Maine shootings last night? A timeline of the tragedy
Ranking
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Coyotes' Travis Dermott took stand that led NHL to reverse Pride Tape ban. Here's why.
- This diet says it is good for Earth and your health. Here's what experts want you to eat.
- An Idaho woman sues her fertility doctor, says he used his own sperm to impregnate her 34 years ago
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Sudan’s army and rival paramilitary force resume peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia says
- Special counsel urges judge to reinstate limited gag order against Trump
- Exclusive: Mother of 6-year-old Muslim boy killed in alleged hate crime speaks out
Recommendation
New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
Hilary Duff Proves Daughter Banks Is Her Mini-Me in 5th Birthday Tribute
Mia Talerico’s Good Luck Charlie Reunion Proves Time Flies
Billboard Music Awards 2023 Finalists: See the Complete List
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
What to know about Maine's gun laws after Lewiston mass shooting
New York governor dodges questions on who paid for her trip to wartime Israel
AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean