Category: State budget

UW-Madison needs more freedom and flexibility to remain a world-class institution of higher learning and research.

One by one, they stepped up to the lectern.And one by one, they ripped Gov. Scott Walker?s proposed two-year state budget as they testified before the Legislature?s budget committee.

Gov. Scott Walker?s administration went to the state Supreme Court late Thursday afternoon in a bid to implement its controversial collective bargaining measure.

The Joint Finance Committee held a public hearing on the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus Thursday, and despite a smaller than expected turnout, testimony on the governor?s new budget proposal for the next biennium was filled with passion.

Wisconsin residents across the state get their chance to weigh in on the Governor?s proposed state budget, starting today. The Legislature?s Joint Finance Committee will hold the first of three public hearings on the two-year state budget at the University in Stevens Point.

The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents met Thursday to discuss the Wisconsin Idea Partnership, a plan endorsed by 13 UW chancellors to increase flexibility for every UW System School while keeping UW-Madison within the system.

While members of the University of Wisconsin System emphasized the need for a unified voice in pursuing autonomy, officials reached little consensus on anything else in a Board of Regents meeting Thursday.

Massive crowds expected to swarm the first public hearing on Republican Gov. Scott Walker?s state budget proposal didn?t materialize Thursday, reducing the affair to another mundane legislative proceeding.

Members of the University of Wisconsin and System campus community traded barbs about the possible pitfalls of the New Badger Partnership and the UW System?s Wisconsin Idea Partnership in a public forum Wednesday.

Both chambers of the Legislature, which met with all the members present for the first time in almost two months Tuesday, passed the fiscal components of Gov. Scott Walker?s budget repair bill.

UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin is proposing a plan to give all University of Wisconsin System campuses more freedom from state regulations, but a System official said the proposal is problematic because it still calls for UW-Madison to split from the rest of the System. “At its core, it is not a compromise,” said System spokesman David Giroux. “It still results in the fracture of our unified public university system.” In a letter to members of the state Legislature?s budget committee, UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin suggests changes to statutory language in Gov. Scott Walker?s budget to give other System campuses more control over funding, setting tuition, creating personnel systems, building and purchasing. But she writes that “UW-Madison seeks to maintain its treatment in the current budget bill to become a public authority.” In Walker?s budget, UW-Madison would separate from the System, getting its own 21-member board of trustees.

Leaders at several University of Wisconsin Campuses are reacting to a proposal that would separate the Madison campus from the rest of the UW-System.

UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin is proposing changes to Gov. Scott Walker?s budget to give other University of Wisconsin System campuses more flexibility, while also maintaining language that would make UW-Madison a public authority.

She sent the letter to members of the state Legislature?s budget committee a day after Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, charged UW System administration and Martin to come to a compromise. They have been fighting over the future of UW-Madison within the UW System.

The University of Wisconsin Teaching Assistants? Association held a brief gathering atop Bascom Hill Monday featuring two campus unions and Rev. Jesse Jackson before marching down State Street to the Capitol building where a rally commemorated Martin Luther King Jr.?s death and his fight for workers? rights.

UW Chancellor Biddy Martin has offered budget language changes aimed at giving other UW campuses more flexibility while maintaining Gov. Scott Walker?s budget proposal that the flagship campus gain autonomy from the rest of the UW System.

After listening to testimony from several witnesses Friday, Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi decided to keep the temporary restraining order on the budget repair law.

A Dane County judge said the temporary restraining order prohibiting publication of the bill limiting collective bargaining rights for public employees would stay in place, despite the continued absence of the Republican defendants.

Proposals to give the University of Wisconsin-Madison independence from the rest of the UW-System and greater management flexibility are not going to lead to excessive tuition or cost students at UW-Baraboo access to the Madison campus, a UW-Madison spokesman said Thursday.

As Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, I fully support the Wisconsin Idea Partnership and its goals to keep the University of Wisconsin System as a unified, world-class provider of higher education and to provide maximum flexibility from state bureaucracy to all UW System campuses. These flexibilities will allow all UW chancellors to lead their campuses in meeting the needs of our regions and our state using 21st century management practices.

MADISON, Wis. — A Dane County judge said she?s keeping in place her restraining order preventing a law that would strip most public workers of a majority of their collective bargaining rights from going into effect while she considers whether a law was broken in the process of passing the law.

A temporary restraining order blocking enactment of the budget repair bill will remain in place until Republican lawmakers can appear in court. The ruling comes after Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne rested his case Friday in a lawsuit claiming passage of the bill violated the open meetings law.

Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi amended her temporary restraining order Thursday morning, declaring Gov. Scott

The Department of Administration agreed to cease implementation of the governor?s union bill Thursday after a Dane County circuit court judge declared in an amended order the bill?s publication did not make it a law.

MADISON, Wis. — A new analysis shows that as long as state lawmakers approve a budget fix bill proposed by Gov. Scott Walker, the state?s budget would be balanced even if the collective bargaining law currently on hold doesn?t take effect. The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau analysis released Friday shows that the bill expected to be passed Tuesday would balance the budget currently projected to be $137 million short by July 1.

Proposals to give the University of Wisconsin-Madison independence from the rest of the UW-System and greater management flexibility are not going to lead to excessive tuition or cost students at UW-Baraboo access to the Madison campus, a UW-Madison spokesman said Thursday.

Having declared that Wisconsin?s divisive union law isn?t really a law yet, a judge was set to return to one of the underlying questions dogging the measure _ whether Republicans violated the state?s open meetings law during the frenzied run-up to passage.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker?s administration reluctantly suspended efforts to enact the law Thursday after Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi unexpectedly declared the measure hadn?t been properly published. The move marked another round in a messy legal fight over the law, which requires most public workers to pay more for their benefits and strips away most of their collective bargaining rights.

?Yesterday was among the craziest of my entire life,? UW-Madison history professor William Cronon wrote on his blog last week, describing how news of the Wisconsin Republican Party records request seeking emails from his university account had ?gone viral in a very big way.?

A senator on the state?s powerful budget committee told university leaders to stop arguing over the fate of UW-Madison within the University of Wisconsin System. “Rather than fighting, sit down and work together so we can move this university system and UW-Madison campus forward,” said Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon. His comments came after some three hours of testimony from UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin and UW System President Kevin Reilly before the Joint Finance Committee.

The chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus urged state lawmakers Thursday to support Gov. Scott Walker?s proposal spinning it off from the university system. UW President Kevin Reilly argued for keeping the flagship campus under the umbrella of the larger system.

It?s safe to say when this editorial board initiated its support for UW Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin?s flexibility and accountability proposal for the Madison campus we did not foresee a UW separate from the rest of the UW System. We?re still not quite sure how the New Badger Partnership ended up as a stand alone authority.

University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly is trying to convince state lawmakers not to allow the flagship Madison campus to operate independently as Gov. Scott Walker has proposed.

MADISON (WKOW) — After another ruling by a Dane County Judge the Department of Administration stops implementing the collective bargaining law.

More authority for all schools in the UW System. That?s what system president Kevin Reilly called for Thursday morning.

MILWAUKEE — Gov. Scott Walker said he?ll comply with a Dane County circuit judge?s order halting enactment of a law that would strip most public workers of their collective bargaining rights.

Biddy Martin explained her plans to split the Madison campus from the UW System to state lawmakers at the Capitol on Thursday. The UW Madison chancellor made the pitch for her Badger Partnership plan to members of the legislature?s Joint Finance Committee. ?Let us adopt a model that allows us to thrive,? said Martin. ?Let the other campuses have the flexibilities that are appropriate their their revenue mix, their administrative capacities, their specific missions, so they to can thrive.? Martin suggested amending Governor Scott Walker?s budget, which incorporates the Badger Partnership, so the other UW campuses ?get what they need.?

MILWAUKEE — Gov. Scott Walker said he?ll comply with a Dane County circuit judge?s order halting enactment of a law that would strip most public workers of their collective bargaining rights. Walker said in an appearance in Milwaukee Thursday the reason he?ll comply with Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi?s order is because it?s in writing.

The state?s new law to dramatically limit collective bargaining for public workers has not been published and is not in effect, a judge said Thursday. An official in Republican Gov. Scott Walker?s administration said he plans to comply with that order and to suspend preparations for deducting money from workers? paychecks.