Governor Scott Walker said yesterday that he intends to make changes to his 2013-15 biennial budget recommendation for the University of Wisconsin System. Details are expected in the next seven to ten days. The governor’s original budget proposal for UW System included $181 million for cost-to-continue and economic development efforts.
In a letter to the co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Finance, the governor wrote the changes are “in light of the revelations regarding the University of Wisconsin System’s reserves.”
Earlier in the week the governor said he supports a tuition freeze for the next biennium, but did want additional cuts to his proposed budget. Walker’s remarks came at press conference in Milwaukee where he spoke about his recent trip to China, noting the 90-percent increase in students from China studying at UW-Madison over the past four years. The governor also said that Wisconsin’s trade with China increased over the same time period and that China is an important trade partner for the state.
A Walker spokesman would not say if the governor now supports a decrease in his original $181 million proposal.