Wisconsin’s new Democratic leaders say the faltering economy will put a damper on their biggest ideas. State Representative Mark Pocan of Madison says right now the focus will be on items with smaller price tags, like giving fringe benefits to domestic partners of state employees.
UW-Madison is one of the few large campuses in the Midwest not to offer such benefits. Spokesman David Giroux says it makes it harder to recruit and keep top faculty members. Domestic partner benefits are projected to cost about $670,000 a year. Giroux says the money will returned in the form of federal grants obtained by the major researchers who come or stay because of the benefits. (Audio of State Rep. Mark Pocan discuss this issue during his appearance on this past week’s Madison Forum.)