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…
Category: The state
Reschovsky: Revenue Limits Will Force School Districts to Cut Property Taxes
Andrew Reschovsky, a professor at the La Follette School of Public Affairs and PROFS Steering Committee member, has found that more that three-quarters of school districts in the state will be forced to reduce the amount of revenue they can…
Legislative Update
While the state budget has been the focus of much of PROFS’ work recently, several bills have been introduced that have an impact on campus. Voter ID An amended version of AB 7 passed the Assembly 60 to 35 late…
PROFS Advocates in Support of Flexibilities
Last week, the Faculty Senate voted to support the legislative proposal that would transform UW-Madison into a public authority. The Senate also approved principles in support of key flexibilities for UW-Madison (Faculty Senate Document 2280). The faculty motion in support…
Pocan and Vos on the UW Public Authority
State Representatives Mark Pocan (D-Madison) and Robin Vos (R-Burlington) were recently interviewed by Steve Walters of WisconsinEye. Vos is co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee; Pocan served as co-chair last session. The pair discussed the proposed public authority status for…
PROFS Registers in Opposition to Voter ID Bill
PROFS has registered in opposition to Assembly Bill 7, a measure that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls. The bill also moves the date of the fall primary to the second Tuesday in August, eliminates straight-party…
Resources for Retirement Planning
Proposed changes in state employee benefits have led many faculty to contact PROFS with questions about how these changes may affect them as individuals. While we cannot offer personal advice, we can encourage you to consult the many resources available…
Rep. Vos: UW-Madison unlikely to be spun off from System
Speaking with Mike Gousha on UpFront, State Representative Robin Vos (R-Burlington) said that while he agrees with the governor’s plan to offer UW-Madison greater flexibility, he does not think a spin-off is likely to be approved (video here): I am…
Where Does PROFS Stand on Public Authority?
The proposal developed by the governor and chancellor to make UW-Madison a public authority would trigger the most fundamental changes to this great University since the creation of System almost 40 years ago and, some argue, the most fundamental change…
Resources for Understanding the 2011-13 State Budget
Public hearings on the proposed 2011-13 Wisconsin biennial budget conclude on Wednesday, and the budget process is well underway. Soon afterward, the Joint Finance Committee will issue its rules and convene in executive session to discuss the budget. This memo…