Author: Michelle Felber

Assembly District 47 Responses

Joe Maldonado and Randy Udell are vying to replace State Representative Jimmy Anderson in the Assembly District 47. Anderson is a candidate in Senate District 16, an open seat. The newly-drawn district includes Fitchburg, Stoughton, and part of McFarland. There is no Republican running for the seat, so the primary winner is almost certain to win in November.

Joe Maldonado

Joe Maldonado’s responses:

What are your goals for your first/next term in office should you be elected?

In the state Legislature I hope to be an advocate for funding for our young people and after school services for kids so that every child has the support and resources to thrive. Additionally with new legislative maps, we have a real opportunity to make big changes in Wisconsin. For nearly 14 years the Legislature has used its gerrymander majority to reject the will of the people. With fair maps we can finally make real progress on protecting abortion rights, supporting the LGBTQ community, properly funding our public schools and universities, and so much more.

Please describe your qualifications and what sets you apart from your fellow candidates.

The theme of my campaign is ‘Pull up a seat to the table’. Throughout my career in youth work, local government, and community engagement, I have centered inclusion and access, particularly for our most marginalized communities. I currently serve as Fitchburg alder in one of the most diverse aldermanic districts in Dane County. In my four years on council, I have prioritized access to voting, spaces for youth, and local BIPOC owned businesses. In my career in youth engagement, I have mentored and coached hundreds of young people, managed dozens of volunteers, and overseen funding systems and strategic plans for youth based programming, in Dane County and across the state. I believe that we have a chance to make some major shifts in our state government by opening up opportunities for out of school time programming, mental health services, increased access to voting, public transportation, women’s reproductive rights, and reduced barriers for immigrants, particularly our undocumented Wisconsinites. By seeking this office and campaigning for Dems across the state, we have the chance to secure a progressive majority and move policy forward. I want to be a part of that change.

While UW-Madison is situated in Dane County, its role as an economic engine it benefits the entire state. UW-Madison also has unique needs that are different from the other Universities of Wisconsin. Please tell us how you would represent UW-Madison in the Legislature and encourage your colleagues from outside Dane County to understand the statewide benefit of a strong UW-Madison?

As this question stated, UW-Madison is a massive economic driver for the state. The University contributes $30.8 billion per year to the Wisconsin economy, supporting more than 232,000 jobs and generating $1 billion in state and local taxes. When UW-Madison thrives, the whole state succeeds. As a Dane County legislator, I would encourage my colleagues to spend time at the university, to meet with university staff as well as students.

State funding for higher education has fallen dramatically over the past several decades, resulting in a dependence on tuition and fundraising to replace decreased state support. A ten-year long tuition freeze coupled with previous state budget cuts has forced UW-Madison to make serious cuts, while other UW System campuses face devastating budget shortfalls. How would you address these concerns if elected?

I believe that public universities need to be adequately supported by the state. We have been on a disastrous path for decades now with the state providing less and less support to the UW System. As a former college access/college success professional, I’ve seen the impact of these cuts on students and higher education professionals .I support the Governor’s plan to invest $800 million in the next budget in the UW System, and also the longer term goal to at least get the UW System and Wisconsin up to the median state in funding its public university system (We are currently 42nd).

The current legislative majorities have worked to delegitimize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Legislators have forced the university to reclassify DEI positions and a legislative audit of UW DEI programs is underway. UW-Madison as an institution understands diversity to be a value that is inextricable from its other values, including educational and research excellence. Tell us about your legislative priorities on diversity, racial justice, and their relation to the values you hold related to higher education.

In my campaign I am centering equity and inclusion. Too often incredibly important decisions at all levels of government are made with and by a small group of people. As a lawmaker, I seek to bring in historically marginalized and unprivileged communities to get them involved in the process, while also ensuring those most in need are targeted for support. In the Legislature, I would oppose efforts for the UW-System to abandon DEI, while also ensuring we incorporate equity into all programs and places within state government. This would look like equity officers within state agencies, focusing on disparities in maternal health, home ownership, and employment for people of color.

Wisconsin ranks near the bottom of state funding for four-year post-secondary education, while state funding for two-year technical education is among the best in the country. How would you address this disparity in the Legislature?

I believe that our entire higher education system needs to be funded appropriately including both our technical colleges and higher education system. Because of deliberate policy choices by the Republican legislature, we are seeing layoffs as well as campus closures all across Wisconsin, including W-Platteville Richland, UW-Milwaukee at Washington County, UW-Oshkosh Fond du Lac and UW-Green Bay Marinette. We need to reverse course to ensure students of all backgrounds have a quality higher education option in their community.

Work on the 2025-27 state budget will begin shortly after legislators are sworn into office. What are your funding priorities?

My funding priorities for the 2025-2027 budget would be increasing funding for public schools and after school programming for youth, providing funding to our childcare infrastructure and industry, and supporting policies that center communities and create prosperity and wellbeing like reinstating local control over public transportation, investing in state parks, legalizing cannabis, and properly funding higher education.

PROFS has long advocated for paid family leave for all employees and is pleased that UW-Madison and the Universities of Wisconsin recently approved a modest six-week paid parental leave benefit. We believe this is just the first step and more needs to be done. Will you support initiatives like those offered by Governor Evers that would expand paid leave to state employees and create a paid leave insurance program for public and most private sector employees in the state?

I strongly support Wisconsin adopting a paid leave program. Every Wisconsinite deserves the freedom to take care of a loved one or welcome a new baby into their family without the fear of losing their job. Paid family and medical leave is proven to recruit and retain workers, and our neighboring states are already putting these policies in place.

Randy Udell

Randy Udell’s responses:

What are your goals for your first/next term in office should you be elected?

  • Revitalize public safety
  • Protect reproductive freedoms
  • Expand broadband access across the state

Please describe your qualifications and what sets you apart from your fellow candidates.

I served as one of two alders representing District 4 on the Fitchburg City Council from 2020 to 2024, encompassing the western and southern parts of the city. He previously was council president for two years and chair of the Finance Committee for three years, which oversees the City’s $25,000,000 operating budget. Randy is the first LGBTQ+ person to ever serve as a local elected official in Fitchburg. Currently, I am a Dane County Board Supervisor representing District 33.

I have been the elected treasurer of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin since 2015, helping manage a multi-million dollar budget. I have the most experience working with a variety of stakeholders and managing finances in my race.

While UW-Madison is situated in Dane County, its role as an economic engine it benefits the entire state. UW-Madison also has unique needs that are different from the other Universities of Wisconsin. Please tell us how you would represent UW-Madison in the Legislature and encourage your colleagues from outside Dane County to understand the statewide benefit of a strong UW-Madison?

UW-Madison is an anchor of our community and our state. The university continues to uphold Charles Van Hise’s principles of the Wisconsin Idea, bringing the resources and knowledge of UW-Madison to all corners of the state. I would work collaboratively with UW-Madison to ensure its voice is heard at all levels of state government so educational opportunities and important research can continue and expand even further moving forward.

State funding for higher education has fallen dramatically over the past several decades, resulting in a dependence on tuition and fundraising to replace decreased state support. A ten-year long tuition freeze coupled with previous state budget cuts has forced UW-Madison to make serious cuts, while other UW System campuses face devastating budget shortfalls. How would you address these concerns if elected?

Funding for our public university system must be increased to be at minimum the median level of funding for public university systems nationally, which would be an additional $440 million annually. However, I’d like to see more funding than that to prevent staff and program cuts, and would vote for it if elected.

The current legislative majorities have worked to delegitimize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Legislators have forced the university to reclassify DEI positions and a legislative audit of UW DEI programs is underway. UW-Madison as an institution understands diversity to be a value that is inextricable from its other values, including educational and research excellence. Tell us about your legislative priorities on diversity, racial justice, and their relation to the values you hold related to higher education.

As a gay man, I understand the importance of supporting diversity and exposing our young people to opportunities like they will encounter in the real world. I want to ensure these opportunities can continue and are well funded. I strongly opposed efforts by legislators to reclassify DEI positions, which is unnecessary and ridiculous. These positions should be classified back to their original titles.

Wisconsin ranks near the bottom of state funding for four-year post-secondary education, while state funding for two-year technical education is among the best in the country. How would you address this disparity in the Legislature?

We need to get per pupil funding for four-year colleges to match that of our state’s technical college system. That must be addressed with the governor’s next budget.

Work on the 2025-27 state budget will begin shortly after legislators are sworn into office. What are your funding priorities?

I worked for AT&T for over 30 years. Much of my district is rural and lacks broadband access. Thus, it’s difficult for young people to participate in many educational opportunities and for others to work both at home and at businesses (and other options are quite costly). I’d like to see more funding allocated through the state’s Public Service Commission to get high-speed internet to the homes and businesses of more Wisconsinites.

In addition, our suburban communities (particularly in Dane County) are rapidly growing and struggling to keep up with basic services like police and fire, as well as in small rural towns. I’d like to see the state’s shared revenue deal renegotiated to give communities a fair shake and have that reflected in the governor’s budget.

PROFS has long advocated for paid family leave for all employees and is pleased that UW-Madison and the Universities of Wisconsin recently approved a modest six-week paid parental leave benefit. We believe this is just the first step and more needs to be done. Will you support initiatives like those offered by Governor Evers that would expand paid leave to state employees and create a paid leave insurance program for public and most private sector employees in the state?

Yes! Paid family leave must be expanded in Wisconsin.

PROFS Legislative Candidate Questionnaires

(Photo by Bryce Richter / UW-Madison)

As a result of new district maps, there are many more legislative seats up for grabs throughout the state this fall. The 2025 Legislature is likely to look substantially different when it convenes in January.

The new maps have forced some legislators to run for reelection in new geographic areas while others have chosen to run in new districts altogether. In the Dane County area, there are several open seats with very competitive primaries. PROFS reached out to Democratic candidates who are on the primary ballot (August 13) in five local districts. None of these districts have a Republican primary. Their responses follow this post.

77th Assembly District Candidate Forum

PROFS is pleased to cosponsor a public forum featuring Democratic candidates in the 77th Assembly District. The forum, organized by the Greenbush Neighborhood Council and cosponsored by the Bayview Foundation, Regent and Dudgeon-Monroe Neighborhood Associations, and PROFS, will be held at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, July 10 at the Bayview Community Center. The forum will also be available via Zoom (link available soon).

Three Democrats are running to represent the newly redrawn 77th district, which includes UW-Madison. There is no Republican on the November ballot, so the winner of the August 13 primary is the presumptive winner in November. The candidates:

  • Chuck Erickson, an IT service manager with CDW and Dane County Board Supervisor
  • Renuka Mayadev, a program advisor for maternal and child health at UW-Madison
  • Thad Schumacher, owner and pharmacist at Fitchburg Pharmacy

More information on voter registration and early voting for the primary election is here. Find your polling place here.

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June Board of Regents Meeting

Universities of Wisconsin logo The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regent will meet at UW-Milwaukee on Thursday and Friday, June 6 and 7. Zoom links to the open portions of the meeting are available here.

This is the first board meeting for newly-appointed Regents Jack Salzwedel, Tim Nixon, and Desmond Adongo. Salzwedel and Nixon will serve 7-year terms, while Adongo will serve a 2-year term as a non-traditional student.

The Regents will meet in committee Thursday morning:

  • The Audit Committee will hear several reports, including the UW-Milwaukee’s NCAA Division I Athletics 2023-24 report and the FY24 Audit Plan Progress Report. The committee will also consider approval of the FY25 Audit Plan and the FY25 Annual Plan for the Office of Compliance and Risk Management.
  • The Capital Planning & Budget Committee will discuss granting authority for several building projects, the sale of a parcel of land at the Marshfield Agricultural Research Station, and a UW-Madison lease agreement. The committee will consider approval of a report on how UW-Madison will honor veterans and military service as part of the Camp Randall Sports Center Replacement Project.
  • The Business & Finance Committee will hear a report from UW-Milwaukee on financial and administrative planning and consider approval of a contractual agreement at UW-Madison and the 2024-25 UW System annual operating budget. The committee will also hear an update on shared services across the Universities of Wisconsin.
  • The Education Committee will consider approval an institutional policy on campaigning in residence halls, four new degree programs, including two at UW-Madison, and the 2024 tenure and promotion report. The committee will also discuss a dual enrollment report and hear an update from the UW System Division of Academic and Student Affairs.

The full board will meet Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. On Thursday, the board will introduce newly-appointed Regents (see above) and hear reports from outgoing Regent President Karen Walsh and Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman. Rothman is expected to provide an update on free speech and civil dialogue on campus.

The Regents will also meet in closed session on Thursday afternoon. They will discuss a student request to review disciplinary action at UW-Madison, a faculty request to review UW-La Crosse personnel decisions, and chancellor personnel evaluations.

On Friday, the Regents are scheduled to recognize the 2024 Academic Staff Excellence Award winners, elect new Board officers, and approve their 2024-25 meeting schedule.

 

 

PROFS Statement on Paid Parental Leave

Last week the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents met and heard about the implementation of paid parental leave for UW-Madison and Universities of Wisconsin institutions. PROFS has been working diligently for several years to bring this much-needed benefit to faculty and staff, including post-doctoral fellows. While we strongly support UW’s paid parental leave plan, we will continue to push for paid family leave for all Wisconsin workers. Our statement:
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April Board of Regents Meeting

Universities of Wisconsin logoThe Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents will meet at the University if Wisconsin-Platteville Thursday and Friday, April 4 and 5. Zoom links for the open portions of the meeting are here.

Regents will meet in committee Thursday morning.

  • The Business and Finance Committee will hear a presentation on a sustainable financial future from UW-Platteville and consider approval of 2024-25 tuition rates, two contractual agreements, and new paid parental leave policies for UW-Madison and the UW System.
  • The Education Committee will consider approval of a continued test optional admissions policy through summer 2027 and several new degree programs, including a BS in dairy and food animal management at UW-Madison. The committee will also hear updates on dual enrollment and the student behavioral health initiative.
  • The Audit Committee will hear an updates on recent audits and the audit plan progress report.
  • The Capital Planning & Budget Committee will hear a presentation from UW-Platteville and consider approval of changes to a Regent policy document relating to the removal of unneeded structures. The committee will also move into closed session to consider approval of the naming of facilities at UW-Madison and UW-La Crosse.

The full board will meet Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. On Thursday, Regents will consider approval of 2024-25 tuition rates and hear a presentation from UW-Platteville and updates from Regent President Karen Walsh and Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman. The Regents will also consider performance evaluations for chancellors and compensation adjustments for the UW President and chancellors.

On Friday, the Regents will watch a video presentation on this year’s Research in the Rotunda and present the 2024 Regents Teaching Excellence Awards. An optional closed session is on the agenda, and the Regents may also vote on action taken aforementioned closed session.

April Legislative Update

The update below was shared with members of the Faculty Senate yesterday. The Senate meets in Room 272 Bascom Hall on the first Monday of the month, October through May, except in January.

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PROFS Forum on the Future of Flagship Universities

States from coast to coast are considering or have already announced plans to drastically cut public higher education funding. At the same time, many state legislatures are introducing bills that limit or ban DEI efforts, dictate curriculum, and eliminate tenure.

Where does that leave the flagship university, once the crown jewel of public higher education?

PROFS will host a public forum on April 24 to discuss national trends, how UW-Madison compares to our flagship peers, and what that might mean for Wisconsin.

PROFS President Michael Bernard-Donals will moderate our panel:

The forum will be held in the Wisconsin Idea Room (Room 159) in the Education Building. Refreshments will be served.

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PROFS Statement on the Closure of UW-Milwaukee at Waukesha County

Last week, UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone announced the decision to close UWM’s two-year campus in Waukesha in 2025. PROFS is very concerned about the process undertaken to date and expects UWM and the Universities of Wisconsin to follow Regent policies and the principles of shared governance going forward. Our statement:

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Wrecked: State Politics and the Deinstitutionalization of Public Higher Education

Wrecked by Barrett J. Taylor

The Havens Wright Center for Social Justice is sponsoring an online event featuring University of North Texas Counseling & Higher Education Professor Barrett J. Taylor. Taylor will discuss his most recent book, Wrecked: State Politics and the Deinstitutionalization of Public Higher Education, via Zoom at noon, Thursday, February 29. Pre-registration is required to attend.

From the publisher:

Higher education is a central institution in U.S. democracy. In the 2010s, however, many states that spent previous decades building up their higher education systems began to tear them down.

Growing hostility toward higher education reflected changing social forces that remade the politics of U.S. higher education. The political Right became increasingly reliant on angry white voters as higher education became more racially diverse. The Republican party became more closely connected to extremely wealthy donors as higher education became more costly.

In Wrecked, Barrett J. Taylor shows how these social changes set a collision course for the Right and higher education. These attacks fed a policy agenda of deinstitutionalization, which encompassed stark divestment from higher education but was primarily characterized by an attack on the institution’s social foundation of public trust.

In response to these attacks, higher education officials have offered a series of partial defenses that helped higher education to cope in the short-term but did nothing to defend the institution itself against the long-term threat of declining public trust. The failure to address underlying issues of mistrust allowed conflict to escalate to the point at which many states are now wrecking their public higher education systems.

Wrecked offers a unique and compelling perspective linking higher education policymaking to broader social and political forces acting in the twenty-first century.