GOP Senate Budget Holdouts Stake Opposition on Bigotry

MADISON, Wis. — According to media reports and documents obtained from Republican State Senators Duey Stroebel, Chris Kapenga and Steven Nass, the troika of suburban and rural white men are withholding their votes on the 2017 state budget unless a handful of changes are made. Included in their list of demands is a provision to, “Prohibit UW System expenditures on mandatory diversity, sensitivity and cultural fluency trainings for all faculty, students and staff.”

One Wisconsin Now Research Associate and University of Wisconsin Madison student Savion Castro issued the following statements:

“This is such a small minded, sad, sorry attempt to protect white bigotry and white supremacy.

“Our world, our nation and our state are diverse. It’s not too much to expect the faculty, staff and students of the University of Wisconsin System to understand that and to be able to respect and deal with it.

“As a matter of public policy it’s odd people view universities as a place to train a workforce but have so little knowledge on the importance of cultural IQ. And, students as consumers have a right to pursue their degree free from harassment whatever their race, gender identity or creed.”