Government Relations

Legislative Update

July 11, 2008

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In this issue:

STATE UPDATE

In The News

►July 1 - UW System President Kevin Reilly Announces Review of Chancellor Searches
University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly announced that a detailed review of procedures used to recruit and screen candidates for executive positions, including the UW-Parkside Chancellor post, is under way. Read the media coverage in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Kenosha News.

►July 6 - UW System Staff Participate in Interagency Working Group on Veterans’ Educational Benefits
Several state agency representatives met and discussed provisions of the new federal post-9/11 G.I. Act (See WDVA website for the program summary.)  The working group is expected to meet regularly over the next year to facilitate the implementation of the new federal benefit program.  The post-9/11 G.I. bill is effective Aug. 1, 2009. See news coverage on the G.I. Bill in The Capital Times.

►July 9 - UW System President Recommends Dr. Lane Earns as Interim Chancellor for UW-Parkside
If approved by the Board of Regents in August, Dr. Lane Earns, UW-Oshkosh Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, will become Interim Chancellor for UW-Parkside. Retiring Chancellor Jack Keating, who has served as UW-Parkside’s leader for more than a decade, has agreed to extend his tenure by approximately one month to allow for this transition. View the media coverage in the Kenosha News and Racine Journal Times.

State Legislation Update

►July 3 - Department of Administration Announces State Agency Lapses
DOA Secretary Michael Morgan announced the Act 226 Preliminary Lapse Allocations that were included in the Budget Adjustment Bill. The UW System’s share of that lapse is $25 million.  UW System officials are working with the DOA and institutions to minimize the impact on students’ learning while moving forward with the Growth Agenda.    

►July 8 - Candidates Register to Run for Elective Offices
July 8 marked the official filing deadline for candidates to register to run for Wisconsin’s elective offices.  (For specifics, see the Wisconsin State Elections Board list of all candidates registered.) 

In the state legislature, more candidates registered than in recent years, with 85 of the 99 Assembly seats contested.  In the Senate, where only the even-numbered seats are up for election, 11 of 16 are contested. In Congress, candidates are challenging incumbents in all eight House seats.

At the state level, strong interest is partly due to numerous retirements, with 11 members of the Assembly and two Senators deciding not to run again.  The number of candidates, particularly in a presidential election year, also has the ability to swing political control of both houses, where leadership margins are close. 

Interest in the candidates and their races is also sparked by some unique circumstances this year.  Former congressman Peter Barca is now running for the state Assembly.  Representative Jeff Wood’s candidacy is being challenged by Republicans after he switched his affiliation from Republican to Independent, and, numerous races have third-party candidates.  In Wisconsin, where Presidential election margins are usually very close, votes for third-party candidates can change election outcomes.      

The next date of campaign interest will be July 21st, where candidates report campaign funds they have raised since January 1st, 2008. 

Election rules are governed by the new Government Accountability Board, which combines the formerly separate Elections and Ethics boards.  

Guidance on political campaign activities at UW System institutions can be found here: www.uwsa.edu/govrel/camprule.htm

FEDERAL UPDATE

►President Bush Signs Bill Creating Additional Veterans’ Educational Tuition Benefits
On June 30, President Bush signed the $161.8 billion supplemental appropriations bill for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, 2008. Though the appropriation primarily provides funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the bill also includes almost $3.6 billion in non-war funding (including a veterans' educational tuition benefit).  Of the $3.6 billion, $400 million was approved for U.S. science programs. The new funding will support programs that were originally authorized by the America COMPETES Act and will help several energy-related national laboratories avoid layoffs anticipated due to previous budget cuts.

The $400 million in science spending will be divided among the major science agencies, including:

  • $150 million for the National Institutes for Health (NIH), to be merged into current NIH spending and divided proportionally among the institutes, centers and common fund for FY 2008;
  • $62.5 million for the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, which a House Rules Committee explanatory statement stipulated should be used to end any layoffs due to budgetary constraints;
  • $62.5 million for the National Science Foundation (NSF), including $22.5 million for research and related activities, and $40 million for Education and Human Resources; and,
  • $62.5 million for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

An additional $387 million will fund research, development, testing and evaluation within the military services and the Department of Defense (DoD).

More information, including the full text of H.R. 2642, is available.

AROUND WISCONSIN

“Around Wisconsin” features items relating to exciting progress on campus or examples of strong relations with the community and policy makers. Please send items of interest to externalrelations@uwsa.edu.

  • UW-Stout: Backpacks that served University of Wisconsin-Stout students well for two years will be sent on a new mission: helping the children of military veterans in Minnesota.
  • UW-Green Bay: Starting this fall, Nicolet College in Rhinelander will host classes offered through UW-Green Bay, putting Northwoods students on their way to earning a bachelor's degree from a UW System institution without going far from home.
  • UW-Oshkosh: The campus’ Employee Assistance Program is collecting stuffed animals to be donated to Mercy Medical Center so that young patients can have something soft and comforting to hold onto before surgery.

UPCOMING EVENTS

July  
17-18 Wisconsin Science & Technology Symposium, UW-Stout
Aug  
13 UW System Legislative Liaisons/Public Information Officers face-to-face meeting at UW-Oshkosh
20 Student government representatives from across the UW System will convene in Madison for their first annual meeting of the 08-09 academic year
21-22 Board of Regents meeting in Madison
Sept  
19 Fall meeting for the Inclusivity Initiative hosted in Madison

 

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