Government Relations
Legislative Update
February 21, 2003
Governor Doyle Delivers Budget Message
Governor Doyle's budget calls for a $250 million reduction in state tax support to the UW System in the 2003-05 biennial budget. The two-year fiscal plan allows for the budget cut to be partially offset through increases in tuition. The proposed offset, if approved by the Legislature, could raise $150 million over the two years, but this additional revenue would still leave the UW System with a $100 million budget cut.
The Governor recommends allowing the Board of Regents to raise tuition for resident undergraduates up to $250 per semester in 2003-04 and 2004-05 at each of the UW System's comprehensive campuses and two-year colleges. The budget would allow for tuition increases of $350 per semester in each of those years for resident undergraduates at UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee. Even with the tuition increases, UW campuses would still rank well below the midpoint of tuition rates of their peer institutions.
- UW-Madison would likely rank 7th out of 9 public Big Ten universities.
- UW-Milwaukee would rank about 12th out of 15 comparable urban universities.
- The eleven comprehensive campuses would rank about 31st out of 35 similar institutions.
The governor's budget includes $23.6 million in funding for financial aid increases for UW-Wisconsin Higher Education Grants, Lawton grants, and the Advanced Opportunity Program. The additional financial aid would come from UW System auxiliary operations. Under the plan the Higher Educational Aids Board would be eliminated and its functions transferred to the UW System and DOA.
President Lyall and Regent President Gottschalk made statements about the Governor's recommendations.
President Katharine C. Lyall's reaction to the budget
Regent President Gottschalk's reaction to the budget
Joint Finance Committee Hearings
The 2003-05 budget bill will be SB-44 (The bill is 1140 pages.). The Joint Finance Committee is expected to get the Fiscal Bureau analysis of the bill on March 17, and hold agency briefings the remainder of the week. Six public hearings on the bill, tentatively set for Madison, Milwaukee, Platteville, River Falls, the Neenah-Menasha area and Rhinelander, will follow. The committee is also planning to have video conferencing at some of the sites, connecting the panel to other locations in the area to expand public access to the hearings.
Budget Reduction Bill passes both houses
Yesterday, Special Session SB 1 passed the Senate and the Assembly. The measure was submitted by Gov. Jim Doyle to reduce state spending in the current fiscal year (FY 2002-03, ending June 30) by $81 million. Last week, the committee added a 1 percent reduction to the existing cuts and applied the cuts to more agencies. The effect on the UW is an additional $1.378 million on top of the Governor's $6.89 million cut. Also, the committee added language instructing that the reductions had to be taken from the "institutional support" appropriation from which the 6 percent was derived. This appropriation has a base of about $134 million and supports most administrative and IT functions. Cuts could be taken from outside this appropriation if a plan is submitted and approved by the JFC under a 14-day passive review process.
Senate Roll Call or Assembly Roll Call
Floor Session
The Assembly took up AB 3 (Pettis), which prohibits state agencies from filing more than 80% of the total number of full-time equivalent positions that become vacant during the fiscal year. The bill was stopped by a procedural motion.
Legislation Introduced
AB-66. MEDICAL SCHOOL (Wasserman) Requires all persons admitted to the University of Wisconsin Medical School to take the Medical College Admission Test. To Colleges and Universities.
AB-74. MILITARY FUNERALS (Musser) Provides for $25 tuition voucher at UW or technical college for students who sound Taps at military honors funerals. To Veterans and Military Affairs.
AB-95. ALIEN TUITION (Colon) Allows aliens who are not legal permanent residents of the US to pay resident tuition in the UW System if they graduated from a Wisconsin high school and have lived in the state for at least one year.
Information on the Web
UW System Government Relations:
http://www.uwsa.edu/govrel/
UW System Budget:
http://www.uwsa.edu/budplan/
Wisconsin Legislature on the Web
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/
Prepared by Kerry
Niemcek.
For further information contact Margaret
Lewis (608) 262-4464 or David
Miller (608) 262-4463