Government Relations

Legislative Update

September 19, 2008

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STATE UPDATE

In The News

► Chancellor’s Retreat
Today, System President Kevin Reilly hosted the UW institution chancellors for a one day retreat at the Lussier Family Heritage Center in Madison.  A principal focus of the retreat was planning for the 2009-11 budget cycle.  Invited speakers included State Representatives Mark Gottlieb (R-Port Washington) and Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh), and Tim Casper, Senior Policy Director for Governor Jim Doyle.

► Faculty Representatives Council Meeting
The UW System Faculty Representatives met today for their 2008-09 inaugural meeting.  The faculty representatives were briefed by individuals from the UW System Offices of Communications & External Relations, Academic & Student Services, and Human Resources/Workforce Diversity.  A schedule of future meetings, along with information on each of the representatives, is available on the UW System website.

► Academic Staff Representatives Council Meeting
The UW System Academic Staff Representatives met September 18 in Madison for their first meeting of the 2008-09 school year.  Topics of discussion included faculty recruitment and retention initiatives, current legislative issues, and the biennial budget request.  A membership roster and a list of upcoming council meetings are available online.

► Inclusivity Initiative Meeting
The Inclusivity Initiative held its fall meeting today at Grainger Hall in Madison.  Topics of discussion included a report on the Diversity Climate Assessment Study, a briefing on Domestic Partner Benefits and a presentation by Fair Wisconsin.  More information on the UW System’s Inclusivity Initiative for LGBTQ People can be found on their web site.

► Richard Longworth Presentation
UW System Administration, in conjunction with UW Colleges/UW-Extension, hosted a webcast presentation by author Richard Longworth on Friday, September 19.  View the archived presentation.

Longworth’s recent book, Caught in the Middle:  America’s Heartland in the Age of Globalism, chronicles the ways in which the world economy is presenting new challenges for the Midwest – our economy, educational systems, municipalities, farms, and factories.  Longworth argues that individual states are disadvantaged in this new environment, and lays out a compelling rationale for regional agendas and regional solutions. For more about the book, see this story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

State Legislation Update

► Biennial Budget Request Submitted to DOA
On September 15, the UW System 2009-2011 Biennial Budget Request was submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Administration.  An overview of Wisconsin’s biennial budget process is posted on the UW Office of Budget and Planning web site.

► State Legislative Election Update
The Wisconsin fall primary election was held on Tuesday, September 9, 2008.  There were no primaries in any of the Senate races.  In the Assembly, 34 districts had a contested primary (23 Democratic and 15 Republican).  Notably, the primary election winners in eight Assembly districts (Districts 8, 10, 16, 17, 20, 59, 64, and 81) will not face an opponent in the upcoming general election.  For a full summary of the primary election results, see the complete coverage by WisPolitics.  

The general election will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008.  There are 9 contested Senate races and 72 contested Assembly races.

► September Busy with Legislative Council Special Committees
September begins a heavy meeting schedule for non-partisan Legislative Council study committees, which review select policy issues of interest, and is comprised of both public and legislative members.  Legislative Council keeps comprehensive online information about each committee, including membership, scope, minutes, agendas, etc.

FEDERAL UPDATE

► Federal Student Aid May Face a $6 Billion Shortfall
College students are seeking federal financial aid in record numbers this year, leading Bush administration officials to warn Congress that the most important federal aid program, Pell Grants, may need up to $6 billion in additional taxpayer funds next year.  Read the entire story in the New York Times.

► Congress Approves ADA Amendments Act of 2008
On September 17, the House passed by voice vote S. 3406 the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Amendments Act of 2008.  The bill was approved by the Senate late last week and will now go to the President for signature.  President Bush has indicated that he will sign the measure. 

The bill addresses several Supreme Court decisions that have narrowed the definition of disability under the original Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The bill also includes language that takes into consideration the concerns of the higher education community by protecting the institution’s ability to ensure that academic programs will be preserved and not fundamentally altered when making an accommodation for students with disabilities.

► President Signs Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008
This week, President Bush signed into law the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 (H.R. 6889), a one-year extension of the measure that was enacted in May to blunt the impact of the credit crunch and restore stability to the student loan market by ensuring continued access to federal student loans for all eligible student and parent borrowers.

The law enacted earlier this year increased loan limits for unsubsidized Stafford undergraduate loans, delayed repayment for parent borrowers of PLUS loans, and gave the Secretary of Education authority to purchase loans from private lenders made under the federally guaranteed loan program to free up capital for new loans.  The bill also granted the Secretary of Education authority to purchase loans from lenders for the 2008-09 academic year and to offer lenders access to short-term liquidity.

Many lawmakers support extension of the “temporary” law because students may face uncertainty about the availability of federal guaranteed loans as they plan for the 2009-10 academic year.  Several lenders and groups of loan providers have written to Congress urging passage of the one-year extension.
 
► Feingold Gives Speech on Diplomacy
On September 15, Senator Feingold delivered a speech at Georgetown University on the subject of “Promoting Democracy, Development and U.S. Diplomacy: U.S. Interests and Values.”  You can access the text of the speech online.

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-Eau Claire: Marlin Hardinger, UW-Eau Claire alumnus, is serving as the U.S. Department of State representative on the United Kingdom provincial reconstruction team in Helmand, Afghanistan.
  • UW-Extension:  The Wisconsin Food Security Consortium, led by UW-Extension, is hosting the first of four 2008 Regional Hunger Forums in Richland Center.
  • UW-Madison: The UW-Madison Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center is co-hosting the fourth annual World Stem Cell Summit at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison from September 21-23.
  • UW-Oshkosh:  Jim VandeHei, UW-Oshkosh journalism alumnus and cofounder of The Politico, recently spoke at the UWO Foundation Community Breakfast

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sept  
25

The Western Wisconsin Intergovernmental Collaborative is sponsoring a legislative debate on the UW-River Falls campus.  Area Senate and Assembly candidates have been invited.
Oct  
2-3 Board of Regents meeting at UW-Stevens Point
14 UW-La Crosse will host a debate/forum of 94th Assembly district candidates
21 UW-La Crosse will host a debate/forum of 32nd Senate district candidates
Nov  
6 Board of Regents meeting in Madison
12-13 Synergy Conference 08 hosted by UW-River Falls
Dec  
4-5 Board of Regents meeting hosted by UW-La Crosse
Feb 2009  
5-6 Board of Regents meeting in Madison
Mar 2009  
5 Board of Regents meeting in Madison
6 NSF Regional Grants Conference in Milwaukee, hosted by UW-Milwaukee and the UW System Office of Federal Relations.  NSF representatives will present information on Foundation, the review process, and cross-disciplinary and international programs.  There will also be breakout sessions with program officers from the NSF directorates and a session on proposal writing.
April 2009  
TBD UW System Administration hosts Posters in the Rotunda: A Celebration of Undergraduate Research at the Wisconsin State Capitol.

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