A busy and transformative week is ahead for the Wisconsin Legislature. The Assembly is scheduled to vote on Governor Scott Walker’s 2011-13 biennial budget, and the Senate is poised to approve concealed carry legislation. The Assembly will meet on Tuesday…
Author: Michelle Felber
Legislative Update
The Joint Finance Committee is meeting today in executive session at noon to consider two items — Senate Bill 93 (concealed carry) and Senate Bill 27 (2011-13 state budget). The committee is expected to add language to the proposed concealed…
WiscNet to Lose Funding Under Budget Proposal
Included in the budget bill that passed the Joint Finance Committee last Friday were several provisions affecting WiscNet, a non-profit association of more than 450 schools, libraries and units of government providing high-speed internet services to the state’s education and…
Joint Finance Committee Passes UW Budget
Shortly after 7 pm Friday, the Joint Finance Committee voted 12-4 along party lines to approve an omnibus motion that would grant greater flexibility to all UW System campuses. The motion does not include public authority status for UW-Madison, but…
JFC Announces Plans for UW
The chairs of the Joint Finance Committee announced today that while public authority status for UW-Madison is out of the budget, flexibilities for all UW System campuses are in. Representative Robin Vos (R-Caledonia) and Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) said…
Joint Finance Committee Hopes to Complete Work by Friday
The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance will meet today and tomorrow in an effort to complete its work on Governor Scott Walker’s 2011-13 biennial budget. They plan to begin at 1 pm each day, with the possibility that work will…
Fiscal Bureau Budget Papers Available
The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau has released the budget papers that relate to UW-Madison’s proposed public authority status (papers 690 and 691) and the funding of UW System (papers 740-753). Several of the papers include opportunities for increased management flexibility:…
An End to the Wisconsin Covenant and Changes to Reciprocity
The Joint Finance Committee met on Tuesday and voted to support Governor Scott Walker’s proposal to do away with the Wisconsin Covenant. The program offers financial assistance to needy Wisconsin students who enter an agreement with the state in eighth…
Collective Bargaining Law Struck Down
Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi issued a permanent injunction against a law that would severely limit collective bargaining by most public employees in the state. Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has argued that Judge Sumi overstepped her authority. He…
Legislative Update
The Legislature acted on two bills mentioned last week: AB 7 (Voter ID) The Senate, after two days of rancorous debate, passed the proposal 19-5 on Thursday, May 19. Senator Fred Risser (D-Madison) was speaking against the bill when Senate…