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.
Wisconsin scientists and start-up companies should continue to use human embryonic stem cells ? and their noncontroversial counterparts ? in ongoing research because they hold great promise for treating disease and injury, two panelists said Wednesday at the Early Stage Symposium.
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.
….A recent report by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration finds that nearly 22 percent of Wisconsin residents between the ages of 18 and 25 reported alcohol dependence or abuse in the past year, and more than half of young adults admitted to binge drinking in the prior month. Stats for the overall population were dismal, too. Only three states, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota, have worst rates of binge drinking for residents aged 12 and above.
In 1952, Wisconsin Gov. Walter J. Kohler Jr. expressed frustration over rivalries among the state?s public universities, saying: “These institutions are competing here for money, just as they are competing for students, and this tugging and hauling must be stopped.”
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.
Governor-Elect Scott Walker urged the Democratic Assembly Caucus to practice bipartisanship to solve the problems facing the state Tuesday.
A new website will serve as a gateway to 70 online degree and certificate programs offered by the University of Wisconsin System. Prior to the creation of the site – ecampus.wisconsin.edu – there was no centralized place to search through all the programs offered by the UW System?s 26 campuses.
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.
With the election behind us, I hope to turn more attention to some of the original focuses of The Sconz, including my beloved alma matter, the University of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin?s military veterans looking to take advantage of the generous education benefits they qualify for have a new website specifically designed for them. The new Veterans Wisconsin Education Portal was launched last week by a partnership including the University of Wisconsin System, University of Wisconsin-Extension, and the Wisconsin Technical College System.
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.
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.
Wisconsin citizens may see a change in politics as usual and a renewed focus on economic policy after broad Republican victories in Tuesday?s elections.
University of Wisconsin System leaders on Thursday will tell Governor-elect Scott Walker that the state?s $1.3 billion-a-year investment in public universities is worth increasing.
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.
Quoted: UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin.
Quoted: Charles Franklin, UW-Madison political science professor.
It?s a myth that Wisconsin?s best and brightest leave the state for opportunities elsewhere. That?s according to a report put out by the University of Wisconsin System, which shows 81 percent of alumni who were Wisconsin residents before enrolling stay in the state after graduating from a UW System institution. Overall ? including non-residents ? 67 percent of alumni remained in Wisconsin. At UW-Madison, 69 percent of alumni who were Wisconsin residents as students remained in the state, the report shows, compared with 92 percent at UW-Milwaukee. Noted: survey by political science professor Ken Goldstein.
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.
More furlough days for state workers, fewer people on BadgerCare, lower taxes for corporations, employee contributions to state pensions and a challenge to federal health care reform are all likely to be top items on the state agenda in the wake of a Republican wave that swept Democrats entirely out of power in Wisconsin state government.
….It’s less clear what a Walker administration will mean for state funding for the University of Wisconsin, but with Democrats out of power, education committee chairs will again be Republican and that means that Republican Rep. Steve Nass of Whitewater, a staunch and vocal critic of the university system, could again be the chairman of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee. His spokesman, Mike Mikalsen, on Tuesday said Nass would be interested in reclaiming that role.
If he did, he would push for capping college tuition increases and reducing wages and benefits for teachers, professors and administrators.
Quoted: UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin
Quoted: UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden.
Quoted: Charles Franklin, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Could what?s taking place in Missouri be a sign of things to come in Wisconsin? The University of Missouri-Columbia, which is the flagship institution in the Show-Me State, plans to close five programs and reorganize 34 others, the Missourian reported. Public colleges across Missouri are making similar moves after Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon told the Department of Higher Education to conduct a statewide audit of academic programs at public schools.
Quoted: Barry Burden, a professor of political science at UW-Madison.
If the pundits are right and this is a blowout victory for Republicans, we will need some long-term thinking on issues and campaign reform. At the state level, we must resist privatization of the University of Wisconsin.
In the race for governor, Scott Walker, 43, also opposes embryonic stem cell research and told an anti-abortion group he would support a ban. Tom Barrett, 56, said that would put an end to millions of dollars in federally funded research being done at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Construction began last week on a $250 million refit program for the Charter Street Heating plant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Democratic college students on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus say there will be a strong turnout for Russ Feingold, Tom Barrett and other Democrats. Student volunteers worked the phones on Wednesday inside a food court on campus to line up volunteers to campaign over the weekend. “It?s really up to us to prove there isn?t the enthusiasm gap,” said 21-year-old senior Paula Uniacke of Green Bay. Many students haven?t focused on the election until recently, said Evan Giesemann, the head of the College Democrats at UW-Madison. But President Barack Obama?s visit in late September that attracted 27,000 people, many of them students, was a turning point, Giesemann said.
Quoted: Charles Franklin, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Quoted: University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientist Barry Burden.
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.
UW-Madison announced in a news release that Molly Jahn will step down as dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on Jan. 1.In the release Chancellor Biddy Martin thanked Jahn — who has led the college since 2006 — for her work. But Martin stated that “now is the time for a change in leadership for the college.”
Did Evan Wynn, a state Assembly candidate running in the 43rd District, lie to the militant anti-abortion group Pro-Life Wisconsin or to the Wisconsin State Journal?
Wynn won the endorsement of Pro-Life Wisconsin, which asks its candidates to support a ban on embryonic stem cell research, which is vital to the University of Wisconsin?s pioneering and internationally respected stem cell research projects.
Quoted: Ken Goldstein, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies political ads.
Early voting may not be major factor in Wisconsin elections this year. ?In the presidential race just two years ago, early voting accounted for about one of every five votes cast in the state, and that was up a great deal from the previous presidential election,? said Barry Burden, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin. ?In the midterm election we expect early voting to be at a lower rate than that, but in close races it could obviously make the difference.?
Two biomass power conversion projects in Wisconsin are progressing, one already operating and the other just beginning its transformation.
There?s not much good news on the job front and a switch from Democrat to Republican won?t likely make much difference, a new report suggests. Wisconsin lost nearly 10,000 jobs from August to September, with manufacturing and construction sectors posting the biggest losses, according to the latest report from the Center on Wisconsin Strategy.
Republican lieutenant governor hopeful Rebecca Kleefisch is facing criticism for her comments about domestic partner benefits.
….WISN-TV reported Wednesday night that Kleefisch?s comments sparked a protest at UW-Waukesha this week.
If Scott Walker is elected ? a near certainty if you believe the polls ? he would be the first Wisconsin governor in 64 years without a college degree. And nobody seems to care. College Republicans chairman, Stephen Duerst, says none of the group?s 60 or so members have voiced a problem with Walker?s drop-out status and whether it might, for example, make him less sympathetic to increasing funding for the University of Wisconsin System.
Quoted: UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin
Some researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and private research firms are refuting statements made in the race for governor that adult stem cell research holds more promise than embryonic research.
Concerns raised in the race for governor about embryonic stem cell research are prompting members of the industry to speak up. Republican candidate for governor Scott Walker says he wants the state to support adult stem cell research, instead of work using embryonic stem cells.
Madison researchers who conduct both adult and embryonic stem cell research told reporters Tuesday (10/26) that “heated election rhetoric” is threatening to undermine their work.
Mentions data compiled by University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Barry Burden.
Six years after it was first proposed, a cutting-edge, $150 million building that could lead to important discoveries in human health is nearly complete on the UW-Madison campus. The Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery building is set for a Dec. 2 grand opening. A glimpse inside the building reveals an environment ready-made for science ? both in the state-of-the-art research labs and the architectural design, which features wide-open spaces and flexible rooms.
The Charter Street Heating Plant project is an exciting one. Instead of burning more than 100,000 tons each year of dirty coal ? which pollutes the air, contributes to climate change and sends money out of state ? the UW-Madison power plant is being converted to run on biomass including wood waste, corn stalks, switchgrass and other farm-grown fuels from Wisconsin. Yet the project?s huge price tag can?t be ignored or dismissed. It?s more than $250 million to provide enough power to heat and cool some 300 local buildings.
Embryonic stem cell researchers stepped away from their microscopes Tuesday to dispute gubernatorial candidate Scott?s Walker?s statements about their work and oppose the Republican?s positions. Scientists at a news conference held in a lab at embryonic stem cell company Stemina never mentioned Walker?s name, but they said they wanted to set the record straight about the promise embryonic stem cells hold and what it would mean for Wisconsin to ban their work.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Madison and private research firms are refuting statements made in the race for governor, that adult stem cell research holds more promise than embryonic research.
The Appleton-based Boldt Company will partner with an international engineering firm on a $250 million state project converting a coal-fired heating plant into one using biomass for fuel.
Work is underway on a biomass power plant at UW Madison. Governor Jim Doyle says the $251 million project to convert the Charter Street Plant on the UW Madison campus from burning coal to burning biomass can help lessen the state?s dependence on imported fuels.
