June 8, 2007 - State Budget Edition
JOINT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE VOTES ON UW SYSTEM BUDGET
This week, the Legislature's budget writing Joint Committee on Finance took action on the UW System budget, the Higher Educational Aids Board, and Employee Trust Funds, along with several other agencies. The committee is expected to complete its work on the Governor�s budget today. The Senate will get the budget next before sending the spending plan to the Assembly around the end of the month.
An important element of the budget, funds for cost to continue, was approved unanimously by the committee. Cost to continue funds are dollars that are needed to continue to pay for expenses authorized in previous state budgets. These funds are essential to the basic operation of the university.
Of note for UW-Madison, the committee left intact the Governor's provision on recruitment and retention of high demand faculty. The provision calls for an investment of $10 million to help recruit and retain certain faculty members across the system. Democrats did defeat a motion by the Republicans to limit the amount of the fund that could be directed toward UW-Madison, though, the entire committee supported the full $10 million proposal. It is expected that this provision will remain part of the budget as it works through each house and the conference committee.
The budget amendment that would authorize the offering of domestic partner benefits to all state employees was offered by Sen. Mark Miller (D-Monona) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison). The amendment, which needed to be added back into the budget with nine votes from the committee, received a healthy debate, however, was eventually defeated on an 8-8 vote with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans voting against. It is expected that the Senate will include this provision in their version of the budget. Efforts will continue to work to include this provision, or some form of it, into the Assembly version of the budget and eventually the conference committee report on the budget.
The UW System Growth Agenda, primarily targeted at other UW System campuses, was also approved by the committee. UW-Madison's small part of the Growth Agenda included small funding increases for teacher and nursing education. Also given the green light by the committee was the Governor's Covenant proposal that encourages 8th graders to work toward college attendance.
Two smaller items offered by individual legislators on their own also made it into the spending plan. Sen. Mark Miller included a provision for $25,000 that would set up a course that would introduce political, business and academic leaders in China to the Wisconsin Idea. Rep. Steve Kestell (R-Elkhart Lake) introduced a provision as the request of Rep. Al Ott (R-Forest Junction) to provide $300,000 for research and outreach at Discovery Farms, operated by several UW System institutions, including UW-Madison.
Other miscellaneous items that affect UW-Madison included a provision to provide students and parents detailed information on segregated fees, broken down by category. Another provision would require each campus to provide information to students about who will be teaching each class, tenured faculty, academic staff or teaching assistant. Also, more funding was appropriated to help pay for the popular Wisconsin GI Bill and certain changes to the program were made to help administer it more efficiently.
It is possible that all or parts of what the committee agreed upon (or did not come to consensus on) may change when each house takes up the budget. It is hoped that most of the items that got the most agreement on would remain in each plan. We will continue to work with leadership from both houses to track the progress of these issues.
For a more detailed look at the Committee's action, please refer to: http://www.staterelations.wisc.edu/images/JFCActions6-5-07.pdf . This document compares the Committee's action to the UW System position on each provision. Also, a statement by Chancellor Wiley on Tuesday's action is available at: http://www.news.wisc.edu/13854.
A statement from UW System President Kevin Reilly and Regent President David Walsh is available at: http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2007/r070607a.htm.
For the complete text of all bills and their current status, please visit http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/ab_list.html (Assembly bills) or http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/sb_list.html (Senate bills).
For more information on state related issues contact,
Don Nelson or Kristi Thorson
Assistant Directors, State Relations
608/262-8967