Category: State news

State Senate President Fred Risser has been in office for 50 years, but he’s never seen budget problems such as the ones facing the state right now.

The Madison Democrat says it will take two million dollars a day in new revenue, or spending cuts, just to balance the budget by the end of the current biennium, next June.

A University of Wisconsin-Whitewater professor will oversee the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee, and he’s expected to provide a dramatic contrast to his predecessor.

Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan has announced who will chair the various committees in the Assembly.

Kim Hixson will take over for Steve Nass as head of the Colleges and Universities Committee. Hixson gets the post because Democrats have regained control of the Assembly. He is a professor at UW-Whitewater. Nass, who represents part of the Whitewater area, has been critical of the UW System in the past.

The incoming state Assembly speaker announced Monday the committee chairs for the 2009-10 legislative session.

Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, and Democrats will control the state Assembly for the first time since 1994.

The new appointments include Rep. Kim Hixson, D-Whitewater, as chair of the Colleges and Universities Committee and Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, as chair of the Natural Resources Committee.

During a two-day conference in La Crosse last week, the U-W Board of Regents again passed a resolution supporting domestic partner benefits for state employees.

While Governor Doyle has proposed such benefits in his last two budgets, the legislature has rejected the idea each time. Regent President Kevin Reilly says with a Democratic majority now in both the Assembly and Senate, the time might be right for it to pass. (First item.)

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is the only university in the Big Ten Conference that doesn’t offer domestic partner benefits. Reilly says offering them for UW employees should cost a little more than a million dollars a year.

Madison (WKOW) — from WI Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs: Dr. Richard Zeitlin, longtime director of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, passed away late Wednesday, December 3 in Madison, after a short battle with cancer.

(Zeitlin earned a Masters and a Ph.D. in U.S. history from UW-Madison)

During its final meetings of the year today and Friday, the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents is scheduled to weigh several important decisions regarding UW campuses, including several key proposals at UW-Madison.

Wisconsin provides less need-based financial aid to students at public colleges and universities than some neighboring states, according to a new report.

“Measuring Up 2008,” released today by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, also found that while Wisconsin does well compared with other states in preparing young people for college and awarding degrees, the gaps between white students and minorities are among the largest in the nation.

As students prepare for final exams at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, faculty and staff will prepare for a test of its own â?? maintaining the state universityâ??s commitment to education as Wisconsin faces a $5.4 billion budget shortfall.

There are bright spots in Measuring Up 2008, the biennial â??report cardâ? on higher education that the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education is releasing today. The proportion of students graduating from high school prepared to do college-level work is on the rise, for instance, and the percentage of high school freshmen who go on to enroll in college is also climbing. Even the rate at which those who enroll in college go on to get a degree is edging up.

Members of UW-Madisonâ??s Faculty Senate discussed the implications of the stateâ??s $5.4 billion budget shortfall on the university Monday.

University of Wisconsin Chancellor Biddy Martin wants to bring the campus community together to discuss the current state budget crisis and possible solutions for the university.

In an effort to help address the state’s financial crisis University of Wisconsin schools will be tightening their belts.

This week the UW System Board of Regents will hold their meeting in La Crosse to discuss ways they can decrease spending.

The Board has already taken a number of steps to decrease spending, such as implementing a new approval process for hiring and limiting out-of-state travel, but it wasn’t enough. Now they’re looking for additional ways to cut costs.

With Wisconsin facing a $5.4 billion budget deficit, the UW System will be forced to economize, and university officials announced last week measures to save money and cut spending.

With control of the state Assembly now favoring Wisconsin Democrats, all committees â?? including the one most closely tied to the University of Wisconsinâ??s fate â?? will see new leadership.

University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly last week announced various steps the system will take in the coming weeks to accommodate for the stateâ??s projected $5.4 billion budget shortfall.

The University of Wisconsin System announced Wednesday itâ??s responding to the stateâ??s financial crisis by scrutinizing employee out-of-state travel and looking for other ways to save, including possibly consolidating and eliminating unpopular programs.

â??While remaining focused on the stateâ??s critical educational needs, we must do our part to help balance the state budget,â? said UW System President Kevin Reilly in a prepared release.

University of Wisconsin System president Kevin Reilly has halved his recommendation for faculty pay raises because of the growing financial strains on the state government.

Reilly said he is recommending annual raises of 2.5 percent for faculty and staff rather than 5.2 percent to help address what could be the worst budget deficit in the stateâ??s history.

University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly on Friday announced his recommendation for 2.5 percent annual pay raises for academic faculty and staff, but many professors said that increase falls too short.

Bill Tracy, a professor and chair of the UW-Madison Department of Agronomy, is active in university professor pay issues through the Faculty Senate.

“While (I’m) disappointed, I certainly wouldn’t say this (news) is unexpected,” Tracy said.

In the face of possible state budget cuts, the UW System is taking steps to reduce costs.

The Governor has said education is one area he wants to protect, as the state struggles with a major budget deficit. However, UW System spokesman David Giroux says he won’t be surprised if cuts are made. With the state facing a $5.4 billion deficit next year, Giroux says there’s only so much room lawmakers will have to protect resources for education.

A push for higher UW faculty pay meets resistance at the Capitol.

UW-Madison Regent David Walsh says faculty members are paid 10-percent less than their peers at comparable universities, and there’s a need to close that gap.

With control of the state Assembly now favoring Wisconsin Democrats, all committees â?? including the one most closely tied to the University of Wisconsinâ??s fate â?? will see new leadership.

According to Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, who sits on the Colleges and Universities Committee, the speaker will appoint a new committee chair within the next two weeks.

The UW System is looking for ways to save money. This involves restricting travel for faculty, and could include letting some students earn a degree in three years, and possibly cutting some programs.

Last month, the UW System ordered chancellors to selectively approve new hires, as one way to accommodate the stateâ??s projected multi-billion dollar budget shortfall. Now chancellors are being directed to monitor and approve all out-of-state travel if it involves state money or tuition.

UW System spokesman David Giroux says administrators understand that faculty use such travel to do research and network. (Second item.)

With state budget cuts sweeping the nation, public universities are finding it necessary to make plans to accommodate their projected smaller budgets as well.

APPLETON â?? Gov. Jim Doyle faces his toughest budget decisions when he begins to work with a Democratic-controlled Legislature in January.

Working with majority members of his party will be a first for the two-term Democrat, but as he indicated Monday to The Post-Crescent editorial board, nothing is off the table as the state deals with a grim economic crisis that threatens to drive a $5.4 billion deficit by 2011.

The dust has yet to settle from what Governor Doyle is calling the worst budget deficit in state history. University campuses are bracing for a possible hiring and construction freeze.

UW-Superior Chancellor Julius Erlenbach expects universities to get hit with a one-two punch: A $346-million deficit from the current budget and then a $5-6 billion deficit in the next two-year budget. With 87-percent of his campuses budget spent on faculty and staff, Erlenbach doesnâ??t expect to be able to fill all their positions. (Fifth item.)

â??It is very much case-by-case,â? says Erlenbach. â??We are still in the process of making hires but as things continue to unfold given where things are going we may have to put a freeze on future hires. I donâ??t know.â?

Liberal education may be the key to keeping students competitive in the 21st century and revitalizing the U.S. economy, said Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton at a University of Wisconsin System conference Friday.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin has big goals and big challenges.

Martin, who succeeded Chancellor John Wiley in September, has promised to increase lagging faculty and staff salaries that are allowing other universities to recruit away some stars and demoralizing other employees.

She’s vowed to raise big money for need-based financial aid. And she’s reorganizing the administration, creating a new vice chancellor position to better promote the university’s message.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin has big goals and big challenges.

Martin, who succeeded Chancellor John Wiley in September, has promised to increase lagging faculty and staff salaries that are allowing other universities to recruit away some stars and demoralizing other employees.

She’s vowed to raise big money for need-based financial aid. And she’s reorganizing the administration, creating a new vice chancellor position to better promote the university’s message.

Governor Jim Doyle now says the state faces a budget shortfall of $5.4 billion over the next couple years. Filling that hole could require drastic cuts or tax increases, but Doyle says he’s taking some smaller steps in the short term.

While the overall budget deficit looms large, there’s another number that’s important if the state’s going to pay all its bills and not run out of money before next summer. Doyle’s Department of Administration estimates that because tax revenues have taken such a hit, the current state budget could be about $350-million in the hole by the end of June.

The state will have to leave 3,500 state jobs vacant, eliminate employee bonuses and cut agencies’ budgets by 2.5 percent to deal with the worst projected budget deficit in its history, Gov. Jim Doyle said Thursday.

Doyle also called for targeted tax increases and wouldn’t rule out a general sales or income tax hike, although he said he wanted to do everything possible to avoid that. He’s also ordering that $30 million in state grants not be awarded.

Gov. Jim Doyle announced an increase in Wisconsinâ??s projected budget deficit and presented steps to move the state out of its current economic struggles at a news conference at the state Capitol Thursday.

With the continuing downward spiral of the nationâ??s economy, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Thursday that Wisconsin is now expecting a $5.4 billion budget shortfall over the next 2 1/2 years.

Gov. Jim Doyle said Thursday that 3,500 vacant state jobs will not be filled, no employees will receive bonuses and agencies will have to cut their budgets by more than 12 percent to deal with the worst projected budget deficit in state history.

Doyle also is backing targeted tax increases and won’t rule out a general sales or income tax hike. But he said he wants to do everything possible to avoid that.

State budget director Dave Schmiedicke said state revenue collections are off $3.5 billion from the projections made in June, a major factor in the $5.4 billion budget deficit now facing the state.

“It would have been a challenging budget based on the June numbers,” Schmiedicke said. The “rapid deterioration” in revenues over the past several months have the state staring at the biggest budget hole in its history, he said.

When lawmakers take up the budget next year, they’ll be dealing with the worst deficit in state history.

A report given to the Governor Thursday projects the state budget deficit at nearly $5.4 billion, up from around the $3 billion that was forecasted just a few months ago. The Governor says drops in consumer confidence and job losses have resulted in major losses in revenue for the state.

With a deeper projected budget deficit for the 2009-11 biennium, the Department of Administration has called for even further spending cuts from state agencies, including the University of Wisconsin System.

In 30 cases – nearly 10% – requests for simple records were denied or ignored, according to the audit by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Dear Editor: Despite the economic hard times that are affecting private colleges and universities just like every other part of our nation, the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities is not seeking taxpayer support for our members. Instead, WAICU hopes that Gov. Jim Doyle and the Legislature will consider increasing financial aid for all Wisconsin college students.

(Wegenke is president of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities)