In a recent episode of WisconsinEye's Rewind: Your Week in Review, Emilee and JR discussed the efforts made by GOP authors of the Brewers funding bill to appease both Republicans and Democrats during a Senate Committee hearing held last week. In an attempt to gain support from both sides of the aisle, the GOP authors offered a series of changes to the bill.

The lawsuit that is making headlines has named the Republican leaders of the committees that have blocked actions already authorized by Governor Tony Evers. These leaders include Sens. Howard Marklein of Spring Green, Chris Kapenga of Delafield, and Steve Nass of Whitewater. Additionally, Reps. Mark Born of Beaver Dam and Adam Neylon of Pewaukee, as well as Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester, have been named as defendants in the lawsuit.

Senator Nass has described the lawsuit as a "radical power grab" by Governor Evers and his allies on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He believes that the lawsuit aims to empower unelected state bureaucrats and weaken the oversight powers of elected state legislators.

The clash between the governor and Republican-controlled legislative committees has intensified in recent weeks. One particular point of contention arose when an employment committee refused to authorize 6% pay raises for University of Wisconsin (UW) system workers, despite Evers and the full Legislature already approving the raises.

Assembly Speaker Vos, in his response, suggested that the UW system either eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs or transfer the power to create university roles to the Legislature. While ongoing meetings between Vos and university leaders are taking place, no action has been taken by the committee to authorize the proposed pay raises thus far.

UW system President Jay Rothman expressed concerns over the GOP's attempts to eliminate DEI efforts, asserting that it has put the university in a difficult position. He emphasized the importance of finding a solution to this dispute, as leaving UW staff in the midst of this ongoing conflict is not ideal.

In response to the lawsuit, Assembly Speaker Vos accused Governor Evers of seeking to reverse committee action that authorized 6% raises for most state workers who do not work at UW. Evers' spokesperson clarified that the litigation does not aim to reverse the authorized raises, challenging Vos' claim.

As the lawsuit unfolds and debates continue, it remains to be seen how the GOP authors of the Brewers funding bill will navigate the challenges and win support from both Republicans and Democrats. The ongoing tensions between Governor Evers and the Republican-controlled legislative committees highlight the growing divide within Wisconsin's political landscape.