Category: State news

Four unions can move forward with efforts to assign University of Wisconsin System employees to their ranks, under a decision by the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission. The unions petitioned the commission last year to reclassify nearly 500 UW System employees from “academic staff” to “classified staff” so that they could be folded into existing unions. Some employees objected to the notion of getting assigned to unions without getting a chance to vote.

Word is starting to spread at University of Wisconsin campuses about hate crimes against gays and minorities.

Governor-elect Scott Walker told Gov. Jim Doyle to stop pushing for Democratic policies, including the use of a bio-fuel boiler in the Charter Street Power Plant and healthcare reform in a letter sent Wednesday.

The door has been opened once again for thousands of academic staff working across the University of Wisconsin System to be assigned to unions — without getting to vote on whether or not they want to be represented.

The Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission ruled Wednesday it has the power to decide whether academic staff working across the University of Wisconsin System are properly classified.

Governor-elect Scott Walker asked Gov. Jim Doyle Thursday to freeze his administration?s push on high-profile issues ranging from the implementation of the federal health care law to a costly upgrade of a state power plant — the Charter Street Heating Plant — until Walker takes office on Jan. 3.

Governor-Elect Scott Walker wants to put a stop to some of the work the current administration is doing.

Gov.-elect Scott Walker on Thursday requested Department of Administration Secretary Daniel Schooff reverse course on a series of Gov. Jim Doyle?s initiatives.

Governor-elect Scott Walker is asking the current administration to stop work on several issues. In a letter sent to the Department of Administration, Walker requests that current Governor Jim Doyle put a halt to work in a number of areas during his final months in office.

Gov.-elect Scott Walker took the unusual step Thursday of asking outgoing Gov. Jim Doyle?s administration to halt federal health care reforms in the state, cease negotiations on state workers? contracts and abandon any new rules for state agencies.

Gay rights advocates say they fear that Wisconsin?s new Republican leadership may attempt to do away with the state?s domestic partnership registry. The registry was enacted last year as part of the budget. It allows qualified domestic partners to be able to make end of life decisions, have hospital visitation rights, and to take family and medical leave to care for a seriously ill partner.

Dear Editor: I work for the state of Wisconsin and am very concerned about the incoming governor — a career politician who ironically has bought into the philosophy that government is bad and we should privatize the whole thing. Scott Walker and Republicans, using the mantra ?government is bad,? have made it clear that they want to privatize as many public jobs as possible, and they plan on going after many workers beyond state employees.

As a power plant goes green, plenty of companies say they can help. Ground was broken last month on process of converting the Charter Street Plant at UW-Madison from its coal fired roots, to run completely on biomass by late 2013.

Two days after the election, Gov.-elect Scott Walker was greeted with wide smiles, warm handshakes and a standing ovation during a short stop at the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents meeting.

Louis Butler may finally get a shot at being a federal judge. After two nominations failed to lead to a vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Sen. Herb Kohl?s office says the third time will be the charm.

?We expect the majority leader Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. to give Louis Butler a vote and that he will be confirmed,? Kohl spokeswoman Dawn Schueller says in an e-mail.

Republican Gov.-elect Scott Walker told the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Thursday (11/4) that he?d seek their help to balance the budget and in bring more jobs to Wisconsin.

Walker got a standing ovation from Regents, most of whom were appointed by Gov. Jim Doyle. Among them was Regent President Charles Pruitt, a Doyle friend and advisor. He says ?the University System can be vital in helping achieve your goal of increasing the number of jobs in Wisconsin and adding 250,000 jobs to our state.”

Wisconsin?s new chief executive is not wasting any time seeking allies.

Governor-elect Scott Walker is asking the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents to help balance the state budget. With a deficit of nearly $3 billion, the Republican told University officials Thursday he and the incoming legislature face a quote ?formidable task,? and a serious challenge ahead. ?But I said repeatedly in the job I currently hold and will say again as governor that great challenges bring great opportunities. And it?s not always going to be easy.?

Wisconsin Gov.-elect Scott Walker asked higher education leaders for help Thursday balancing the state?s tight budget and fulfilling his campaign promise of creating 250,000 jobs. Walker told the University of Wisconsin System regents they will need to use “flexibility, innovation and creativity” to make tight budgets stretch further. Walker has inherited a projected $2.7 billion budget shortfall for the two-year period that begins July 1, 2011. Against that backdrop, leaders of the UW System of 13 four-year universities and 13 two-year colleges are concerned about the level of state tax funding they will receive to educate their 170,000 students. They have already said that budget cuts in recent years have reduced services, increased class sizes and made their salaries less competitive. UW System leaders are seeking changes that would give them freedom to run their operations more efficiently.

Gov.-elect Scott Walker told the UW Board of Regents on Thursday that he supports the University of Wisconsin System?s goal of producing more college graduates, but wants to find creative and innovative ways to do that. And that doesn?t necessarily mean funneling more money into the university system, he said. “I know in these challenging times with these challenging budgets, we wanna make sure we not only maintain but seek in many ways through aggressive initiatives to add more college graduates in the state,” he told the Board. Adding: “It isn?t just always about more money. It?s going to be about finding ways to take the dollar we have, finding ways with flexibility, innovation and creativity, to apply those dollars in the best way possible to meet those goals.”

Governor-elect Scott Walker reached out to state lawmakers from both parties as well as university officials Thursday, two days after defeating Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

Hours after winning election as Wisconsin governor, Republican Scott Walker began work on what may prove a harder task — following through on his campaign promises. There were a lot of them, and most involve cutting taxes when Wisconsin is already facing a $2.7 billion budget shortfall over the next two years. Todd Berry, president of the Taxpayers Alliance, said Walker needs to think big and rework the most expensive state programs — school aid, Medicaid, university funding and the prison system — to move the state forward in a more sustainable way. Without change, the state must increase school aid or local property taxes will go up 6 percent to 8 percent, Berry said. Tuition at the University of Wisconsin also is likely to go up, and there?s not enough money to sustain Medicaid and the prison system.

Construction began last week on a $250 million refit program for the Charter Street Heating plant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Bringing more jobs, money and college graduates to Wisconsin?s economy will require an updated collaborative agreement between the state and the University of Wisconsin System, system representatives told The Journal Times Friday.