Audit Committee Chairs Announce Hearing on DEI Audits. Reports Revealed State Agencies, UW System Spent Millions of Dollars, Thousands of Staff Hours on DEI Initiatives

Senator Eric Wimberger (R-Oconto) and Representative Robert Wittke (R-Caledonia), co-chairs of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, issued a statement following the announcement of a public hearing scheduled for April 23^rd, 2025. The hearing will focus on Reports 25-05 and 25-06, which examine diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts within Wisconsin’s state agencies and the University of Wisconsin System. “These new reports reveal that millions of dollars have been spent on initiatives that promote divisive rhetoric within our government institutions and universities,” the lawmakers stated. “It is important to hold these agencies and institutions accountable, and we look forward to further examining these expenditures at the upcoming hearing.” The audits, approved by the committee in May 2024, were conducted by nonpartisan staff at the Legislative Audit Bureau to assess the financial and staffing resources dedicated to DEI programs. The final reports were completed on April 11^th, 2025.