Jay Rothman interview with WISC-TV on the state budget bill introduced this week by Gov. Evers.
Category: State news
Finnish saunas are having a moment in Wisconsin
Arnold Alanen is a professor emeritus of landscape architecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he researched the history of sauna structures. Alanen told “Wisconsin Today” that as a Finnish American, sauna has been a way of life for him from the beginning. He said he was first brought into a sauna as a very young baby, and then he caught on to the ritual when he was about 8 years old, living on his grandparents’ farm in Minnesota.
“The weekly sauna tradition was something that we did on our farm, just without interruption. We would do it every Saturday evening,” he said. “It became such an integral part of my life, as well as of our family.”
What’s behind MPS vacancies, and what’s next to try to solve them
Additionally, the district’s M-Cubed program is helping high school students start teaching degrees. A new partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison pays prospective special education teachers.
Wisconsin is seeing among its worst flu seasons of the past decade. Here’s why
“We’re right in the midst of it. There’s no glimmer at this point whatsoever that it’s starting to go down,” said Dr. James Conway, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Global Health Institute.
Elon Musk is trying to buy the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In a University of Wisconsin study published in September 2017, 1 in 10 registered voters in Milwaukee County and Madison’s Dane County who did not cast a ballot in 2016 cited the voter ID law as a reason why.
An election for a single state Supreme Court seat becomes the ‘blockbuster’ political fight of 2025
“It’s going to be a blockbuster,” said Barry Burden, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In a state where a Democrat controls the governor’s mansion and Republicans hold the legislative majority, the state Supreme Court “is the center of the action,” he said. “It’s become a place where a lot of hot-button issues people care about get decided.”
Starting classes on Sept. 1? Students, faculty support making fall start date earlier
For many University of Wisconsin-Madison students, the beginning of September is a time to reacclimate themselves to Madison before classes start and take advantage of the remainder of summer to enjoy campus. But some say the first day of classes, usually the middle of the week after Labor Day, arrives too late.
UW-Madison takes another crack at demolishing decrepit Mosse Humanities building
UW-Madison has eyed the demise of the Humanities building for the last decade, when leaders developed the current campus master plan, a wide-ranging road map for new developments and renovations, in 2015.
Evers calls for historic school funding in $119B budget proposal
The governor’s budget proposal would increase K-12 spending by a substantial $3.15 billion, in addition to more than $850 million for the Universities of Wisconsin System. A child care subsidy, previously subsidized by the federal government, would be paid for by $480 million in state funds under Evers’ plan.
Wisconsin bill would designate observance day in schools for civil rights pioneer Vel Phillips
Phillips was also a trailblazer in the world of law. She was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1951 and the first female judge in Milwaukee County.
Big spending plans plus both tax cuts and increases. Takeaways from Gov. Tony Evers’ new budget
For higher education, Evers proposed $856 million for the University of Wisconsin System, in line with the agency’s request. That includes an about $40 million scholarship program to benefit around 5,000 students whose families have an income less than the state median.
These Wisconsin companies are among Forbes’ best large and midsize employers for 2025
- 199. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison.
Gov. Tony Evers’ budget calls for tax cuts, protection against ‘needless chaos’ of Trump policies
Evers proposed $856 million in new operational funding for the UW system, more than the $800 million he pledged to the UW Board of Regents last August. His proposed budget also includes $60 million in new state aid for Wisconsin’s technical college system, $10 million of which is meant to support the 16 two-year colleges in investing in artificial intelligence.
Tax relief, school funding, insurance crackdown in Gov. Evers’ budget
In June, the governor said he wanted to see an additional $856 million go to the Universities of Wisconsin. Evers said the next state spending plan is a “make-or-break budget for our UW campuses.”
Evers’ 2025 budget includes tax cuts, insurance accountability, UW funding
Evers will ask the Legislature to approve an additional $856 million in funding for the University of Wisconsin System, the largest two-year increase in history.
Would Susan Crawford have to recuse from any abortion case? Why experts say she wouldn’t.
Howard Schweber, a professor emeritus of political science and legal studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, noted many judges previously worked as criminal prosecutors or defenders.
“It would be absurd to suggest that those judges must recuse themselves from any case involving a crime,” Schweber said.
Shortsighted DOGE USAID cuts hurt Wisconsin farmers, weaken national security
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a key partner for USAID’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab, helping train agricultural researchers around the world and research new seeds. In the past decade, Feed the Future has reduced hunger and poverty by 20 to 25 percent in targeted areas, with over 6 million producers newly using better agricultural practices in 2023 alone.
Of course, these innovations not only support communities abroad, but can also be put to use right in UW-Madison’s backyard to make farmers more resilient to increasing hazards such as heatwaves and extreme precipitation.
Outsourcing in Wisconsin state government expands under Evers
Andrew Reschovsky, a professor emeritus of public affairs at UW-Madison, said sometimes it makes sense for a state agency to contract out services when it doesn’t have the staff or knowledge for the work. Without the outcome of cost-benefit analyses or other information, it is impossible to know when contracting out makes sense without querying each agency, he said.
Bipartisan proposal to expand Medicaid coverage for new moms returns to Madison
Treatment for postpartum mental health issues is also important, said Kathleen Hipke, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She said suicide and overdoses are leading causes of postpartum death.
2 GOP state lawmakers pushing to advance nuclear energy in Wisconsin
Two Republicans who chair state legislative committees on energy and utilities say they want to bring more nuclear power online in Wisconsin in the coming years.
To start that effort, they introduced a resolution calling on the Legislature to publicly support nuclear power and fusion energy.
State officials say colleges can do more to improve student mental health
The Office of Children’s Mental Health released new recommendations this week for students, parents and colleges to improve mental health and sense of belonging on campus.
Lawmakers debate measure requiring state employees to return to in-office working
Last year, an analysis released by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau found most state agencies and University of Wisconsin institutions allowed employees to work from home up to five days a week and one-third or less of workstations in state offices were being used during auditors’ visits.
Based on six visits to 15 agencies and University of Wisconsin System offices between July and August 2023, the highest percentage of workstations being used was 34.5% at the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. The audit was released in December 2023.
More Wisconsin communities rejecting fluoride in water. Health groups say fears unfounded.
Patrick Remington, emeritus professor at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health who began his career at the CDC, said some who oppose fluoride because of its risks aren’t weighing them against the benefits — something people do every day when they choose to drive a car, have a drink or make other choices.
The benefits of fluoride are clear: less tooth decay, Remington said, while the science doesn’t yet show neurodevelopmental problems for children who ingest fluoride at the level in the U.S. water supply.
UW System turns to business community to advocate for budget request
The UW System is asking for roughly $855 million over two years from the state and urged support for that funding during a discussion with members of the Hoan Group, a private group of about 160 business and community members in the Milwaukee and Madison area.
Cuts to federal funding impacts University of Wisconsin-Madison
Changes to federal funding directly impacts Wisconsin’s largest university. The National Institutes of Health is reducing the rate for its “indirect costs” grants to 15%, which goes into effect on February 10.
Trump’s tariffs could raise price of Universities of Wisconsin building projects
UW system Capital Planning Vice President Alex Roe told the UW Board of Regents that two projects are a particular concern: UW-Stout’s $138.9 million Heritage Hall project and the $96.3 million Cofrin Library at UW-Green Bay.
Wisconsin rural college program provides outreach amid ‘education desert’ phenomenon
To provide rural students improved access to higher education, the College for Rural Wisconsin launched a program through UW-Madison about a year ago.
Milwaukee area business leaders, officials voice support for increasing UW system budget
Public and private leaders in Milwaukee say increasing funding for the Universities of Wisconsin system will lead to more people living and working in the state.
Smith: DNR study finds CWD likely is reducing deer populations in southwestern Wisconsin
Seventy-five percent of CWD-positive deer necropsied were in poor nutritional condition, according to Marie Pinkerton, clinical professor of anatomic pathology at the University of Wisconsin.
Housing Inventory Report: Madison leads Midwest, Texas leads nation
From 2005 to 2023, Madison stands out as a top performer in the Upper Midwest in addressing the housing shortage, according to a new analysis. Yet, Texas has 15 cities out-pacing the nation in housing stock growth. Kurt Paulsen, a UW-Madison urban planner, examines the report and offers takeaways.
How do Trump’s executive orders affect climate and clean energy funding in Wisconsin?
Greg Nemet, energy expert and public affairs professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the president doesn’t decide what to do about spending that Congress has authorized.
“This could end up just being more of a power struggle between Congress and the president,” Nemet said. “But in the meantime, it does reduce some confidence in the funding and the expectations that would go to our state.”
Wisconsin Innocence Project to use $1.5M grant to revisit old cases with new technology
The Wisconsin Innocence Project operates as a legal clinic through the University of Wisconsin Law School. Since the project’s founding in the late 1990s, student teams have exonerated more than 30 wrongfully convicted people.
These Wisconsin specialty license plates were the most popular in 2024
Anyone can show their love for the Wisconsin Badgers with this plate — it’s not just available to alumni. While the UW-Madison plate is the most popular, you can choose a plate logo for any of the other UW System campuses.
The annual donation associated with the plate is $20, less than the typical $25. Proceeds support scholarship programs at the selected campus.
Public charging tax now in effect for electric vehicle owners in Wisconsin
Others like Chris McCahill, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and managing director of the State Smart Transportation Initiative, point out one negative to the tax — is electric vehicle owners already pay more than those with gas powered vehicles when registering their vehicle each year.
“So now with this new surcharge, the folks will be paying the state twice to try and compensate for those lost gas tax revenues,” said McCahill.
How many undocumented people live and work in Wisconsin?
A 2023 UW-Madison School for Workers survey found that over 10,000 undocumented workers perform around 70% of the labor on Wisconsin’s dairy farms. “Without them, the whole dairy industry would collapse overnight,” the researchers concluded.
UW-Madison engineering building wins final OK to start construction
Work can begin on a new engineering building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison after the State Building Commission reversed course Friday and approved the long-awaited project.
State Building Commission approves funding for UW-Madison engineering building
The State Building Commission on Friday approved a new proposal to use unspent funds for a new engineering building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and other projects in the university system.
Following delays, Wisconsin State Building Commission gives final approval for new UW engineering building
Construction proposed to begin in 2026, end in 2029.
Embattled UW-Madison engineering building back on track after Republicans hit pause
The embattled University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering building is back on track.
The State Building Commission unanimously approved the project’s new $420 million budget during a Friday meeting, a few weeks after Republican lawmakers stalled the project last month over transparency concerns related to increasing the project’s budget.
UW-Madison secures final approval for $300 million engineering building
The Wisconsin State Building Commission approved funding for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s new engineering hall in a unanimous vote Friday.
UW-Madison’s engineering building is on track again after state delayed funding
Plans to build UW-Madison’s new $419 million engineering building got back on track Friday after the state’s Building Commission — which initially denied UW system’s request to reallocate millions in state funds for the Madison project and others — signed off on the transfers.
Crawford, Schimel set to square off in another high-profile Wisconsin Supreme Court race
“The court continues to be a place in Wisconsin politics where big issues are decided,” said Barry Burden, a political scientist and elections expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The state still has a Democratic governor and Republican Legislature who don’t get along and don’t do much productive lawmaking together … so a lot of the disputes between the parties end up being settled in the courts and eventually in the state Supreme Court.”
Missing all the political ads? With no primary, Supreme Court race will kick into high gear
The same issues that animated the 2023 race in which liberal Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated former Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly are likely to come up again this year, said Howard Schweber, professor emeritus of political science and legal studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Republicans moving quickly on legislation to enshrine voter ID law into constitution
It would “require something extraordinary” for a court to strike down the voter ID law if it’s in the state constitution unless justices decide it conflicts with another part of the constitution, according to University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Barry Burden.
Climate change is warming our winters. How are Wisconsin ski hill operators adapting?
Wisconsin ski hill owners are feeling the effects of warming winters due to climate change, but many are already adapting to keep business up, University of Wisconsin researchers have found.
Opinion | GOP takes another kick at the University of Wisconsin
Despite losing 14 seats in the fall election, GOP legislators still feel empowered to hold the state’s largest economic engine hostage to the whims of its most petty members. Republicans on the state Building Commission ganged up on UW-Madison last week and threw another obstacle in the path of the long-awaited and already-approved new engineering building.
Public money for higher education benefits everyone. Restore funding levels.
When UW leaders asked for $845 million, a fraction of the total amount cut from the UW budget under his watch, Assembly Speaker Vos said, “I just know that some of these numbers, where they ask for the moon, are unrealistic.”
When Vos graduated from UW-Whitewater in 1991, Wisconsin’s higher education appropriations per student were $11,028. In 2023 it was $9,277. So the “moon” was realistic when he personally benefited from taxpayer support, but is unrealistic when it is your turn to benefit?
Wisconsin voters saw 5 statewide referendums in 2024. They might see 4 more in 2025. Here’s what they are.
It would “require something extraordinary” for a court to strike down voter ID if it’s in the constitution, said University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Barry Burden, unless justices decide it conflicts with another part of the constitution.
What to know about referendums in Wisconsin, and why citizens can’t petition for them
“Some voters don’t even know that there’s a constitutional amendment on the ballot until they get to the polls,” said Bryna Godar, a staff attorney at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School’s State Democracy Research Initiative.
“The first time that you’re encountering those typically is when you’re going to vote, which gives you less time to talk to other people about it and to look up more information about it,” she said.
UW-Madison engineering building funds denied by State Building Commission
The State Building Commission denied a motion to allow $70 million in underspent funds to be used for a series of planned Universities of Wisconsin projects including the new engineering building at UW-Madison.
Battle over more state funding imperils future of UW-Madison engineering building
The future of UW-Madison’s new engineering building, as well as other Universities of Wisconsin building priorities, is again in limbo after Republicans on the state’s Building Commission refused to reallocate nearly $70 million in state funds.
Abortions in Wisconsin halved immediately after Roe was overturned, new CDC report says
“The really shocking number [in this report] is the dramatic decline in abortions provided in Wisconsin in 2022, and we know that that’s largely a result of the Supreme Court’s decision that overturned federal protections for abortion,” said Dr. Jane Seymour, a research scientist for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE).
Robin Vos wants to mirror Elon Musk’s DOGE committee in Wisconsin
Q: Would you support a change in the university’s governance structure or spinning off the University of Wisconsin-Madison from the rest of the Universities of Wisconsin?
A: I supported those ideas in the past, so I’m certainly open to having discussions, but our caucus has had no discussion about any of those kinds of things.
Republicans stall UW-Madison engineering building again, citing transparency concerns
The new University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering building is again in peril.
Republican lawmakers rejected the UW System’s request to increase the project’s $347 million budget by $73 million during a State Building Commission meeting Wednesday. The ask to bump up the budget was based on increased costs and design changes, including an additional floor for business partnership opportunities.
Fate of UW-Madison’s new engineering building up in the air after vote
Plans for a new, long-awaited engineering building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison face another obstacle after the State Building Commission denied a request Wednesday to adjust funding and approve construction.
Wisconsin copies DOGE with new committee focusing on wasteful spending
Nedweski outlined a plan to address possible inefficiencies within Milwaukee Public Schools, the University of Wisconsin, the Department of Safety and Professional Services, and law enforcement. She is known for her efforts to shut down a Kenosha Unified School District board meeting in 2021 as a member of Moms for Liberty. Nedweski and others appeared at the meeting, holding signs that read, among other things, “We do not co-parent with the government.”
Building Commission turns down UW request to use unspent money on engineering building
The request came after bids for projects in Eau Claire came in well under budget. However, the commission shot down the request due to what Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu called a lack of transparency.
UW graduation rates, degree demand are top of mind with $855M budget increase request
Based on assessment findings, UW President Jay Rothman foresees higher oversight involvement and visibility of the Board of Regents.
AT&T to discontinue traditional landline service in Wisconsin by the end of 2029
“I’ve watched the markets grow from just plain phone service to hybrid computers that are in our phones, so-called smartphones through which life is now lived,” said Barry Orton, a retired telecommunications professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“Old fashioned copper wire-based phones, which we all used to have in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s are now a thing of the past,” he added
Partisan approach to farm bill delaying updates for Wisconsin farmers
Paul Mitchell, professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said it’s fairly rare to see Congress have to pass a second extension to the farm bill. But he said the lack of cooperation between the parties has made it more difficult to reach the consensus needed to pass the large piece of legislation.
“Just like we walk up to the edge on these continuing resolutions to keep the (federal) budget going, the same thing is happening with the farm bill,” Mitchell said.