Category: State news

Although no one is doing back flips because of an impending cut of $250 million in state taxpayer support over the next two years, University of Wisconsin System officials are generally pleased with the budget bill now awaiting Gov. Scott Walker?s signature. System leaders are most excited about the measures in the bill granting campuses across the state some long-sought freedoms from state oversight when it comes to construction, personnel systems, procurement and accountability reporting.

Gov. Scott Walker?s aggressively austere budget is one step from becoming law, but state officials say its effects are already being felt across Wisconsin. The state Senate on Thursday night passed the $66 billion plan, which uses a combination of budget cuts and corporate tax breaks in an attempt to close an estimated $3 billion budget hole while trying to spur the economy and promote business growth. The measure aims to reduce the state?s structural deficit by about 90 percent by 2013, from $2.5 billion to $250 million. To do this, it cuts more than $1 billion from public schools and the University of Wisconsin system. It also holds property taxes practically flat, which severely limits local officials? ability to recoup lost revenues.

The Legislature on Thursday handed Gov. Scott Walker his budget remolding government at every level, even as new details emerged on how it could lead to the expansion of the state?s school voucher program to many districts around the state.

With the Senate?s vote today, the budget bill awaiting Governor Walker?s signature offers significant leadership flexibilities for all University of Wisconsin System institutions. The two-year budget reduces taxpayer support for UW institutions by $250 million, but it includes long-sought statutory changes in budgeting, financial management, personnel, and other areas. Together, these measures should help mitigate the impact of those cuts.

Noted: ?UW Police were called because they have special equipment. We do have lock-cutting devices here but because of the special locks and being around their neck, we had a team from UW Police that came out here  with special equipment. The locks were removed and the two individuals were taken into custody.?

The Wisconsin Senate has passed the state budget, which is now ready for Governor Scott Walker?s signature. Minority Democrats argued the $66 billion two year budget hurts the working poor and elderly while cutting funding for education and local services

The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate has passed the $66 billion state budget, sending it to Gov. Scott Walker, who promises swift ac

The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate has passed the $66 billion state budget, sending it to Gov. Scott Walker who promises swift action.

The Wisconsin Senate passed its biennial budget bill along party lines late Thursday night, amidst shouts of “I want my democracy back!” from the gallery and repeated commotions from a small group of protesters outside the chambers.

The future is looking somewhat better for Wisconsin?s state educational Internet system and the university division that supports it. By late Wednesday Wisconsin?s state Assembly had come up with revised legislation for WiscNet that will allow it to receive continued funding from the University of Wisconsin?s Division of Information Technology. The Assembly gave the provisions and state budget final approval very early this morning. WiscNet provides Internet for most of Wisconsin?s public schools and libraries.

The Republican-controlled state Assembly has passed the budget on a party line 60-38 vote early Thursday morning.

Lawmakers in the Assembly approved a two-year $66 billion state budget plan on a 60-to-38 party line vote. The final vote came at around three this morning, following a debate on the floor that stretched for nearly 13 hours.

Last minute changes to WiscNet services in the budget have contributed to the delayed start on the budget debate.

At 3:05 a.m. Thursday, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed the two-year budget bill on a party-line vote, 60-38.

A private school voucher program won?t expand to Green Bay and the state will not turn down nearly $40 million in federal money for expanding broadband access in rural areas, under the budget bill passed by the state Assembly early Thursday morning.

Acting with unusual speed, the state Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the reinstatement of Gov. Scott Walker?s controversial plan to end most collective bargaining for tens of thousands of public workers.

The court found that a committee of lawmakers was not subject to the state?s open meetings law, and so did not violate that law when it hastily approved the collective bargaining measure in March and made it possible for the Senate to take it up.

Many of the protesters who gathered at the state Capitol on Tuesday already had left for the night before the Assembly even made it to the floor to begin debate on Gov. Scott Walker?s budget. And when debate still had not begun after 10 p.m. because of delays in drafting amendments to the plan, lawmakers also called it a night. The two-year budget proposal aims to balance an estimated $3 billion budget hole by cutting spending on public schools by about $800 million, limiting their ability to raise property taxes to make up the difference, cutting funding for the University of Wisconsin System by $250 million, taking some $500 million from Medicaid programs, and placing an enrollment cap on Family Care, a program aimed at keeping poor, elderly people out of nursing homes. Republican leaders announced they were backing away from a controversial plan to give back some $37 million in federal grant money awarded to the University of Wisconsin system.Supporters say that money will help extend broadband Internet to rural and under-served areas. The proposal would have meant UW-Madison could no longer support WiscNet, a statewide Internet provider.

A measure in the state?s two-year budget proposal is drawing a lot of criticism from local government agencies. The provision would change the way area governments, schools, libraries, universities and others access the Internet, forcing many or all of them to perhaps pay more and get less.

The state Assembly is expected to undo a part of the state budget proposal that would have forced the University of Wisconsin to turn down about $40 million in federal money to help pay for broadband services.

The debate over Republican Gov. Scott Walker?s budget plan, which Democrats decry as an attack on the middle class, was delayed Tuesday night while both parties waited for a host of changes to be drafted to the $66 billion spending plan.

In a landmark decision ending months of uncertainty, the state Supreme Court struck down the last remaining obstacle for the collective bargaining law to take effect.

The state Assembly is expected to undo a part of the state budget proposal that would have forced the University of Wisconsin to turn down about $40 million in federal money to help pay for broadband services.

The Wisconsin state Assembly has delayed the start of budget debate until Wednesday.

Assembly Republicans plan to add Gov. Scott Walker?s limits on collective bargaining for most public workers to the state budget as soon as Tuesday if the Wisconsin Supreme Court hasn?t acted by then. Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said he expects the state Assembly to take up the $66 billion two-year spending plan on Tuesday and will add collective bargaining limits as an amendment if the Supreme Court fails to act on the plan by Tuesday afternoon. The budget cuts spending on public schools by about $800 million, limits their ability to raise property taxes to make up the difference, slashes funding for the University of Wisconsin System by $250 million, takes some $500 million from Medicaid programs and places an enrollment cap on Family Care, a program aimed at keeping poor elderly people out of nursing homes.

The UW Business School should reconsider from whom it receives money…Their “ivory tower” buildings on the UW campus on Park Street are symbols of unnecessary wealth and give good reasons for all of us to oppose UW Chancellor Biddy Martin?s and Walker?s plan to privatize the University of Wisconsin.

The Legislature?s Joint Finance Committee has voted to effectively destroy WiscNet by forbidding the university to take part, thus throwing away millions of dollars in federal aid. This isn?t about getting away from public sector/private sector competition, it?s about paying off the telecommunications industry, one of the major contributors to the majority party in the Legislature.

Wisconsin did not get to be 43rd worst in the country for broadband access by offering too much affordable access to broadband. We need more options, not fewer. But a last-minute Joint Finance Committee change to the state budget bill would reduce options, increase costs to local taxpayers, jeopardize world-class research at the University of Wisconsin and threaten the growth of jobs and businesses in rural Wisconsin by requiring UW-Extension to return $32.3 million in federal grants designed to expand broadband access and education to several underserved areas.

School Board members are poised to take a stand Monday, opposing a proposal in the state Legislature could triple the Baraboo School District?s cost for Internet services.

Internet costs could double or triple for every public school, library and government entity in the Oshkosh area if lawmakers approve an addition to the governor?s biennial budget bill.

We are concerned about a legislative proposal that would end the effort to extend broadband Internet access to some rural communities in Wisconsin and would prohibit most schools and libraries in the state from accessing the telecommunications system WiscNet.

LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WXOW) – WiscNet is a member-based non-profit organization that provides affordable high-speed Internet access to schools, universities and libraries across the state. But if the budget passes as is, WiscNet will no longer exist.

MADISON – It?s hard to think of an academic research field today that isn?t driven by the ability to analyze, send and receive huge sets of data.

A provision added at the last minute to the proposed state budget by the Legislature?s Joint Finance Committee would all but end inexpensive Internet services for many schools, local government and libraries in Wisconsin.

The Assembly will begin to debate Governor Scott Walker?s proposed two year budget Tuesday. Republican leaders say with confidence this is a responsible budget and it will pass.

The controversial collective bargaining bill may return to the Assembly floor as early as Tuesday, and that could draw out large crowds of protesters as lawmakers debate the state budget.

The tension is building as lawmakers make last minute preparations for the state budget debate.Today Republicans announce if the Wisconsin Supreme Court does not rule in their favor on collective bargaining by tomorrow they will add it to the budget bill.

The state?s library systems could be paying a lot more for Internet access, if proposed cuts to a nonprofit cooperative run by the UW System are included in the final budget.

The University of Wisconsin?s Internet technology division and a crucial provider of ?Net access for Wisconsin?s educational system are under attack from that state?s legislature and from a local telecommunications association. At issue is the WiscNet educational cooperative. The non-profit provides affordable network access to the state?s schools and libraries, although its useful days may be numbered unless the picture changes soon.

Dear Editor: My colleagues and I brought the Internet to the University of Wisconsin System and to other higher education institutions in Wisconsin, and to public schools and libraries throughout the state through a nonprofit association called WiscNet. The budget proposal that would prohibit future work of this kind is a travesty. Research depends on using the very latest communications tools and capacity to be competitive, and these tools are not provided in Wisconsin by telecommunications companies.