Category: State news

After today, classes are over, finals finished, and the student unions closed – so let the furloughs begin!

Wednesday, Dec. 30 is a mandatory unpaid day off for UW-Madison employees. This is one of 16 state-mandated furlough days during the 2009-2011 budget cycle.

Four University of Wisconsin campuses, including Oshkosh, will not be completely energy independent by 2012, Gov. Jim Doyle acknowledged last week about his 2006 re-election pledge. But even if our lame duck governorâ??s credibility is off the grid, Oshkosh has made notable progress. Which begs the question of why politicians feel the need to make such grandiose pronouncements only to have them fall flat.

Gov. Jim Doyle has backed off a campaign promise that four University of Wisconsin campuses will be energy independent by 2012 after determining it was not practical as proposed. Weeks before he was re-elected in 2006, Doyle said campuses would “go off the grid” by becoming the first state agencies to purchase or produce as much energy from renewable sources as they consume.

The pace of construction in the University of Wisconsin System is creating a growing to-do list of maintenance projects and nowhere near enough money to get the work done. â??We need to start thinking about this long term,â? said state Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah. â??And if weâ??re saving money on other projects, we should think of a way to utilize that money.â?

Gov. Jim Doyle has distanced himself from a campaign promise that four University of Wisconsin campuses will be energy independent by 2012 after determining it was not practical as proposed.

A company that partially demolished UW-Madisonâ??s Ogg Hall before getting fired shouldnâ??t get around $1.8 million from the state, according to a recommendation from the State Claims Board.

One state lawmaker continues to push for strict legislative oversight of the UW Board of Regentsâ?? power to condemn and acquire land under eminent domain. Milladore Democrat Amy Vruwinkâ??s bill would ensure the board is accountable for its actions and the property acquisitions really are for the public good.

Student organizations at University of Wisconsin System schools that exercise government responsibilities must adhere to the stateâ??s open meetings and public records laws, according to an informal opinion from Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen.

The Wisconsin Legislature approved a bill that would have changed the make-up of the University of Wisconsin Systemâ??s Board of Regents.It seemed like a good idea when the proposal was approved.

The 18-member University of Wisconsin Board of Regents has 14 members appointed by the governor. Currently 10 of those 14 appointees are from Milwaukee and Dane counties. Thatâ??s not enough representation from the rest of the state.

It is tempting to characterize legislation to change the composition of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents as a solution looking for a problem. But that glib analysis does not do justice to a bill vetoed this week by Gov. Doyle.

Because it is subject to less externally imposed fiscal discipline, government is an easier place to form small empires and duplicate services. So we owe Gov. Jim Doyle a word of thanks for his veto of a bill that would have revamped how regents are chosen for the University of Wisconsin System.

City councils, state legislatures and Congress all are comprised of people who represent particular areas. The system works well because those represented know where to turn when they have issues of concern. The representatives, of course, also deal with matters of general interest, but they are sworn to focus first on their constituents.

Gov. Jim Doyle announced Monday his veto of a bill that would change how the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents representatives would be selected, basing the process on seven geographical regions.

A bill with support from both parties that would have required some members of the University of Wisconsin Systemâ??s Board of Regents to come from particular geographic regions of the state was vetoed Monday by Gov. Jim Doyle.

Those pushing for passage of Senate Bill 223 had argued that all regions of the state should be represented on the Board of Regents.

Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed a bill Monday that would have required members of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents to come from different parts of the state.

Governor Jim Doyle vetoes a bill (Senate Bill 223) that requires members of the UW Board of Regents to come from all geographical areas of the state. Michael Moscicke (moh-SIHK-ee), government relations director with United Council of UW Students, is very disappointed.

Former presidents of the Board of Regents called on Gov. Jim Doyle Thursday to veto legislation that would change the selection process of UW System regents.

Eight former presidents of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents are asking the governor to veto a bill that would require regional representation on the board. The past presidents told Gov. Jim Doyle in a letter this week the change could hamper the operations of the board and damage the quality of the system.

Most people stayed home from work on Wednesday during the blizzard, but the snow day had many state government workers wondering if they would be paid for the day.

Eight former presidents of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents are asking the governor to veto a bill that would require regional representation on the board.

State lawmakers are considering legislation designed to help businesses grow and add new jobs. The proposed Wisconsin CORE Jobs Act would expand tax credits for the stateâ??s angel investor program, foster stronger ties between UW researchers and the private sector, and provide several other incentive programs for businesses looking to expand.

A bill passed by the state Legislature that changes how UW System Board of Regents representatives are selected prompted two legislators to send a letter to Gov. Jim Doyle urging him to veto the bill.

Christopher L. Wiesmueller is in a class of his own, so to speak. Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Barbara B. Crabb decertified the attorneyâ??s class action challenging the stateâ??s diploma privilege. Wiesmueller is now left to pursue the case on behalf of his wife Corrine. Both are graduates of Oklahoma City University Law School, though Wiesmueller has since passed the bar exam in Wisconsin.

Around Madison, Wis., snow and wind are part of winterâ??s backdrop, like frosty breath and ice fishing; students rarely expect a seasonal reprieve. But the storm that whipped through the upper Midwest on Wednesday was no ordinary blizzard.

For the first time in nearly 45 years, officials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison canceled all Wednesday classes â?? the night before â?? and directed all non-essential employees to stay home, affecting about 15,000 faculty and staff. By morning, roads were impassible, conditions dangerous.

Wisconsin is continuing to dig out after a powerful winter storm dumped as much as 18 inches of snow in some areas.

With the potential for 14 inches of snow and wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour, Cheryl Pederson made plans to stay home from work Wednesday.”Next week, Iâ??ll work an extra day,” said Pederson, a nurse consultant for the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative.

Gov. Jim Doyle ordered almost all state and university offices closed today because of the fearsome blizzard.”Wisconsinâ??s emergency workers are working hard to keep people safe,” Doyle said in a statement. “State offices are closed for business to ensure we are keeping people off the roads and allowing emergency response crews to do their jobs.”

A spokesman said that University of Wisconsin campuses in Milwaukee and Superior will remain open Wednesday despite Gov. Jim Doyleâ??s order shutting down state government.

Auditors are making several recommendations to limit legal liability and improve the safety of children who attend sports, music and other camps on University of Wisconsin campuses.

Proposed legislation would take some power away from Wisconsinâ??s university system, and could make it more difficult for campuses to expand. Right now the UW system has the power of eminent domain, which allows them to buy private property at a fair price if itâ??s going to be used for the public good.

A judge will not step aside from a case that challenges a Wisconsin rule allowing in-state law school graduates to become lawyers without taking the bar exam.

A state lawmaker wants changes in how the UW System uses its powers of eminent domain. The UW Board of Regents would be required to take plans to seize private property before the Legislatureâ??s finance committee, under legislation from State Representative Amy Vruwink (D-Milladore). The JFC would then have to hold a public hearing on the proposal and the UW could advance with an eminent domain action only after three-quarters of the 16 member panel approves the plan.

A new bill would require the UW Board of Regents to get approval from the state Legislature before condemning private property for university use. The proposed legislation follows a lawsuit from the owners of Brothers Bar and Grill, who sued the Regents in October in an effort to stop the university from condemning the Madison location of their bar.

A state board is expected to consider whether to award $1.7 million in damages to a contractor embroiled in a dispute over a University of Wisconsin-Madison residence hall project.