Walker alerted lawmakers on Tuesday that he will unveil his two-year spending plan that day. The speech will be at 4 p.m., breaking with the tradition of nighttime addresses.
Walker to deliver budget address on Feb. 8
Madison.com
Category: State news
Governor Walker sets February 8 for budget address
Wisconsin Radio Network
Governor Scott Walker plans to release his state budget plan early next month.
Some question benefit of Walker’s proposed tuition cut
Badger Herald
Two weeks after Gov. Scott Walker pledged to cut in-state tuition for all University of Wisconsin System undergraduates, some lawmakers, experts and university leaders wonder if a more targeted approach might be more beneficial.
Chris Rickert: Robin Vos flirts with ‘class warfare’ in critique of proposed UW tuition cut
Wisconsin State Journal
Mildly dissing fellow Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to cut UW System tuition, Vos said he’d rather increase financial aid for needy students because “just cutting tuition across the board means you are going to give the same assistance to somebody who could write a check without even blinking.”
Assembly Republicans call for $300 million in new transportation revenue, tax cuts
Wisconsin State Journal
Assembly Republicans are calling for at least $300 million in tax cuts in the upcoming biennial budget to offset up to the same amount in new transportation revenue, including a possible gas tax increase.
Wisconsin state agencies are deleting talk of human-caused climate change from their websites
Washington Post
Information on the science of human-caused climate change has begun to disappear from Wisconsin state government websites.
Speaker Vos signals resistance to UW tuition cut
Wisconsin Radio Network
A push to cut tuition at University of Wisconsin campuses could face resistance in the state Assembly.
Wisconsin public employee pensions will rise based on gains for SWIB funds
Wisconsin State Journal
Retirees in Wisconsin who worked for a state or local government agency in most parts of the state can expect a small boost in their pension checks this spring.
Robin Vos: Increase financial aid for UW System students instead of cutting tuition
Wisconsin State Journal
Lawmakers should put money toward increasing financial aid for students at University of Wisconsin System campuses instead of cutting tuition as Gov. Scott Walker has proposed, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Wednesday.
Improved revenue numbers could help state budget
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: Also Wednesday, the Assembly’s top GOP leader said he would prefer to use the money from Walker’s proposed University of Wisconsin tuition cut to increase financial aid.
Wisconsin’s budget picture gets $714 million brighter
Wisconsin State Journal
Wisconsin’s biennial budget picture got $714 million brighter Wednesday, with a projected deficit turning into a small surplus, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
Speaker Vos favors financial aid boost over tuition cut for UW students
WKOW-TV 27
Governor Scott Walker (R-Wisconsin) wants to cut tuition for all UW System students, but not all Republicans are on board with that idea.
Lawmakers in both parties awaiting more details on Scott Walker’s proposed UW tuition cut
Capital Times
Wisconsin lawmakers from both parties are waiting for more details before they stake a position on Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to cut undergraduate tuition for in-state students at University of Wisconsin System schools.
Our Views: Cuts to UW threaten to go too far
Janesville Gazette
Gov. Scott Walker is pitching his proposal to cut—“that’s right, cut,” as Walker said in his State of the State address—tuition at UW schools as something new, and it took even Republican lawmakers by surprise.
Dunn County supervisors back pay hikes for UW System employees
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram
MENOMONIE — A majority of Dunn County supervisors gave their support Wednesday to UW-Stout employees asking the state to support a 2 percent increase in wages and salaries for the next two years.
Wisconsin tax collections forecast to be $454 million higher
AP
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s state budget got a burst of good news Wednesday with news that tax collections will be nearly half a billion dollars more than estimated two months ago.
Arizona lawmakers’ failed ban on ‘divisive’ college courses highlights new criticism of white studies
Inside Higher Education
Proposed legislation against “divisive” courses or events at public colleges and universities in Arizona alarmed scholars in that state and elsewhere before the bill reportedly died a quick death Tuesday. The bill was prompted by a course on white studies at Arizona State University and came after a spate of controversies involving scholars of race, many of them white, commenting on white people.
UW-L leaders line up against concealed carry
La Crosse Tribune
Campus concealed carry legislation hasn’t been formally introduced in the Wisconsin Legislature, but University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students and leaders are letting their opposition be known.
Campus building projects wait for approval amid limited state funding
Daily Cardinal
For many at UW-Madison, construction is a way of life. Disgruntled students ceded Memorial Union to renovations last year and buildings, such as the Hector DeLuca Biochemical Sciences Complex, dot the campus landscape when they did not exist five years prior.
In-state tuition cut aims to make college more affordable for Wisconsin students
Daily Cardinal
Gov. Scott Walker plans to cut in-state undergraduate tuition, which many view as a move that could help ease the burden of college costs and propel Wisconsin students to a dream of receiving a higher education.
New UW federal relations director plans to work with leaders on both sides of aisle
Badger Herald
University of Wisconsin-Madison’s new federal relations director, Michael Lenn, is a Wisconsin native, but he’s no stranger to Washington.
UW-Madison student group applauds Scott Walker’s vow to cut tuition in next budget
Capital Times
University of Wisconsin-Madison students this week applauded Gov. Scott Walker’s promise to cut tuition, but like campus officials, stressed that state funding of the cut is essential.
Guns at School?
Chilton Times Journal
One area lawmaker will reintroduce a piece of legislation in the 2017-18 session that would expand the current concealed carry law to University of Wisconsin System owned buildings.
Cut UW tuition only if state funding goes up
Wisconsin State Journal
Gov. Scott Walker got loud applause and big headlines this week for proposing in his annual State of the State speech the first tuition cut at University of Wisconsin System schools in more than 30 years.
Dave Skoloda: Tommy still leads the charge for UW
Holmen Courier
Gov. Scott Walker’s State of the State message this week expanded on his recent theme of how bright the future is for the state — a bright future that must assume a strong contribution from the University of Wisconsin System if it is to be a reality.
Walker’s Wisconsin tuition idea shuffles political alliances
Madison.com
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to cut tuition at the University of Wisconsin and use taxpayer funds to pay for it is shaking up normal political alliances with some Democrats expressing support while skeptical fellow Republicans worry it could put the state on a path toward socialist Bernie Sanders’ free college tuition plan.
Scott Walker’s proposal would be first University of Wisconsin tuition cut in decades
Wisconsin State Journal
Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to cut tuition for University of Wisconsin System students would be the first time that cost has fallen at the state’s flagship campus in decades.
Walker’s tuition idea shuffles political alliances
WISC-TV 3
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to cut tuition at the University of Wisconsin and use taxpayer funds to pay for it is shaking up normal political alliances with some Democrats supporting it while skeptical fellow Republicans worry it could put the state on a path toward socialist Bernie Sanders’ free college tuition plan.
Dye: Nass ignores serious issues of campus violence, UW funding
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Not even a month into 2017, and we have seen yet another outburst from Republican state Sen. Steve Nass, whose career is notable not for any significant policy accomplishment but for making news with his personal crusade of attacking the University of Wisconsin at any and every opportunity.
Gov. Scott Walker: UW to get more money
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The University of Wisconsin System will get more state money in the next budget but it will be tied to performance, Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday.
Scott Walker’s proposed UW tuition reduction shuffles political alliances
AP
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to cut tuition at the University of Wisconsin and use taxpayer funds to pay for it is shaking up normal political alliances with some Democrats expressing support while skeptical fellow Republicans worry it could put the state on a path toward socialist Bernie Sanders’ free college tuition plan.
Walker ties state money for UW to performance standards
Chippewa Herald
EAU CLAIRE — Universities around the state will get additional money to reduce tuition for in-state students, but they will have to show they earned it, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday in Eau Claire.
Walker: Tuition cuts will be funded
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram
Any lost revenues for UW System schools from a proposed tuition reduction would be made up for with additional state dollars for the universities, Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday in Eau Claire.
Walker says UW tuition cut will be ‘significant’
WSAW-TV, Wausau
Gov. Scott Walker promises the University of Wisconsin tuition cut he’s proposing will be “significant,” but he’s still not saying how much it will be. This while the UW system is asking for a $42.5 million increase in the next budget.
Walker offers more details on possible UW tuition cut
Wisconsin Radio Network
A day after proposing a tuition cut for University of Wisconsin undergraduate students in his State of the State address, Governor Scott Walker offered more details about the plan during stops across the state.
Walker promises to lower UW tuition, touts tax cuts
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday previewed next year’s potential re-election pitch, promising to cut university tuition and touting tax and unemployment rates that are lower now than when he took office in 2011.
State of the State: Scott Walker vows to cut UW System tuition for in-state students
Wisconsin State Journal
Gov. Scott Walker said during his seventh State of the State address Tuesday he will cut in-state tuition at all University of Wisconsin campuses in his upcoming budget proposal.
UPDATE: Gov. Walker proposes UW tuition cut in State of the State
WKOW-TV 27
Gov. Scott Walker is promising to cut tuition for all undergraduates in the University of Wisconsin System.
Wisconsin lawmakers ‘open-minded’ but not sold on Scott Walker’s UW tuition cut
Capital Times
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said he is “open-minded” to the idea, but he is not yet convinced a tuition cut will be a priority for lawmakers as they consider the 2017-19 budget.
UW leaders react to Walker tuition cut idea
WISC-TV 3
Walker proposed a tuition cut in his State of the State speech on Tuesday. He did not say how much it would be, but his spokesman Tom Evenson says it will be paid for.
Walker announces cut to undergraduate in-state tuition for all UW schools
Daily Cardinal
Following years of touting a tuition freeze, Gov. Scott Walker announced Tuesday that he aims to actually cut undergraduate in-state tuition at all UW System schools.
Walker Proposes In-State Tuition Cut For UW System
Wisconsin Public Radio
Gov. Scott Walker said he wants to cut undergraduate tuition for Wisconsin residents at University of Wisonsin System schools in his annual State of the State address Tuesday.
7 UW-Madison faculty: Purging DNR’s website doesn’t change climate facts
Capital Times
Column from faculty members Stephen R. Carpenter, John E. Kutzbach, John J. Magnuson, Monica G. Turner, Jonathan A. Patz, Stanley A. Temple and Donald M. Waller.
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank calls on state to pay for Scott Walker’s promised tuition cut
Capital Times
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank is calling on state legislators to fully fund a tuition cut Gov. Scott Walker promised in his State of the State address Tuesday.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker proposes cutting tuition for UW undergraduates
AP
MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker promised in his State of the State address to cut tuition for all in-state University of Wisconsin undergraduates, even after the head of the multi-campus system called for him to end a four-year freeze.
Walker surprises with call for UW tuition cut
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram
Gov. Scott Walker pledged Tuesday in his State of the State speech to cut tuition for all in-state undergraduate students at UW System campuses.
Walker drops UW tuition cut into State of the State
Wisconsin Radio Network
Governor Scott Walker delivered a State of the State address on Tuesday which contained few surprises. But the Republican governor seemingly caught Democrats and officials with the University of Wisconsin System off guard with the one unexpected item he did include.
Walker Proposes In-State Tuition Cut For UW System
Wisconsin Public Radio
Gov. Scott Walker said he wants to cut undergraduate tuition for Wisconsin residents at University of Wisonsin System schools in his annual State of the State address Tuesday.
Republicans Call For “Ideological Diversity” At UW
Wisconsin Public Radio
Arguing that courses and programs on UW campuses have a liberal bias, some Republican lawmakers in the state assembly have said that creating “ideological diversity” will be one of their priorities this session. A higher education reporters tells us about the call for different viewpoints on campus, and debates over academic freedom.
Gov. Walker To Deliver 7th State Of The State Address
Wisconsin Public Radio
Gov. Scott Walker is set to deliver his seventh annual State of the State address Tuesday afternoon. “A lot of his State of the State (addresses) are less rattling off policy ideas, as compared to other governors or certainly presidents when they do the State of the Union,” said Mike Wagner, professor of communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “When he does talk about what’s to come, it’s not always with a great deal of specifics.”
Republicans condemn university’s masculinity program as a ‘war on men’
The Guardian
Educational watchdogs are warning that newly emboldened Republican leaderships at the state level are ramping up pressure on universities to curb programs they claim “advance the politically correct agenda of liberal administrators and staff”.
Abortion foes seek ban after 12 weeks
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In addition, state Rep. Andre Jacque (R-De Pere) said he will introduce a bill this session to prohibit University of Wisconsin physicians from doing outside work for Planned Parenthood clinics and any other abortion provider.
Rep. Terese Berceau: GOP attacks on campus free speech jeopardize UW
Capital Times
When Republican legislators threaten to withhold funding from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, fire professors who teach material they deem controversial, or comb through the list of course offerings to make sure classes meet some conservative definition of what is legitimate to teach, it has a chilling effect on academic and intellectual freedom and threatens our democracy. These attacks on free speech will continue to poison the atmosphere on our campus and do significant damage to Madison’s national and international reputation.
Complaining of bias on campus, Republicans push for ‘intellectual diversity’ at UW schools
Wisconsin State Journal
Conservative critics of higher education in Wisconsin have opened a new chapter of their long-running complaints about institutions such as UW-Madison, scrutinizing specific university courses and even a class reading they consider biased or inappropriate.
Look for broad themes in Walker’s State of State address
AP
When Gov. Scott Walker delivers his seventh State of the State speech next week, standing before the largest Republican legislative majorities in decades, don’t be surprised if he busts out a pair of sunglasses.
Moynihan: Who’s Really Placing Limits on Free Speech?
New York Times
MADISON, Wis. — At least three times in the past six months, state legislators have threatened to cut the budget of the University of Wisconsin at Madison for teaching about homosexuality, gender and race. As a faculty member who focuses on how public organizations are managed, I hear a great deal about the dangers of political correctness in higher education. Several of Wisconsin’s elected officials have joined the growing chorus of demands for better protections for free speech on campus, even as they fail to recognize how their own politicized approach to managing campuses poses a much more fundamental risk to free speech.
Gov. Scott Walker takes actions on heroin addiction
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: Walker also called on the Legislature to hold a special session on several bills to fight addiction by: Allowing the University of Wisconsin System to charter an addiction recovery high school that would combine traditional classes with treatment for substance abuse.
GOP legislator says UW-Madison’s masculinity program declares war on men
Daily Cardinal
A Republican legislator said Wednesday that UW-Madison is attacking men and masculinity by offering a six-week program called the “Men’s Project,” which explores masculinity and the problems it may cause.
UW-Madison’s ‘Men’s Project’ program on masculine identity draws fire
Capital Times
Another offering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this one on masculinity, is drawing fire from conservatives as an example of ideological excesses at the school.
Tommy Thompson: Government–university collaboration at the root of The Wisconsin Idea
Wisconsin State Journal
Today, the UW’s flagship school in Madison has a $15 billion annual impact on Wisconsin’s economy and brings in $1 billion in research funding. Then as now, I was proud to carry on the tradition started more than a century ago by Van Hise and La Follette — that the university is intricately tied to the state. While today’s challenges differ in some ways from those that we tackled in my time as governor, I believe strongly that this collaborative approach remains the most effective way to solve them and ensure prosperity and health for the people of our state.