Welcome to the Universities of Wisconsin Government Relations Newsletter. The Office of Government Relations provides legislative and political updates that impact the Universities of Wisconsin at the state and federal level.
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Building Bridges for a Strong Wisconsin
Last week, the Universities of Wisconsin hosted a news conference and panel discussion at Titletown Tech in Green Bay, WI. The event brought together regional business and community members from Northeast Wisconsin to discuss the role of Wisconsin higher education in shaping careers and driving regional innovation and growth.
FY24 State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) Report
Wisconsin is now ranked 44th out of 50 states in public funding of four-year universities – a drop of one spot - according to the latest national study of higher education funding.
Board of Regents
The Board of Regents for the Universities of Wisconsin will be meeting in Milwaukee on Thursday, June 5, and Friday, June 6. You can view the agenda and meeting materials on the website when they become available.
State Relations
Assembly and Senate Floor
Both the Assembly and Senate were on the floor last week. You can view Assembly floor actions here, and Senate floor actions here.
The Senate voted on a couple resolutions commemorating UW athletics, including Senate Joint Resolution 30 (congratulating the UW-Madison women’s hockey team on winning the 2025 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Hockey National Championship) and Senate Joint Resolution 36 (congratulating the UW-La Crosse women’s gymnastics team on winning the 2025 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championship). Both resolutions were adopted.
Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities
The Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities held a public hearing last week on Assembly Bill 92, relating to: spinal cord injury research grants and symposia. A representative from the UW School of Medicine & Public Health testified in favor along with a representative from the UW Health & School of Medicine who registered in favor.
Assembly Committee on Education Executive Session
Last week, Assembly Bill 210 passed out of the Assembly Committee on Education on a 7 – 4 vote in favor and is now available to be scheduled for a floor vote. Its companion bill, Senate Bill 210, has not yet had a public hearing.
During the Assembly public hearing on this legislation, the Universities of Wisconsin and UW-Madison submitted testimony in favor of this legislation.
Please check back for future updates.
Federal Relations
Reconciliation Status
Last week, various committees within the House of Representatives held committee markups related to complying with the reconciliation instructions contained within H.Con.Res.14, the FY25 Concurrent Budget Resolution. For more details on last week’s markups you can review the House Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Agriculture committee websites.
Further, on May 18th, the bill advanced out of the Budget Committee and will now be considered by the House Rules Committee on May 21st prior to possible floor consideration.
Congressional Letter on Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
Last week, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI); Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX); Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Brian Babin (R-TX); and Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) wrote letters to the State University of New York and the University of California on “their risk management in response to efforts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to acquire sensitive technology through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.”
In the linked release Chairman Moolenaar said, “The Chinese Communist Party continues to exploit U.S. taxpayer-funded research to fuel its military and economic ambitions. American universities must be vigilant against foreign influence and infiltration—especially when partnered with small businesses developing cutting-edge technology. This investigation is about safeguarding national security and making sure U.S. innovation benefits America, not the CCP.”
For more information, including other remarks from the Committee Chairman, you can view the release.
House Committee on Education and Workforce and Select Committee on the CCP Update
Last week, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) sent a letter to Duke University, which calls on the University to end the Duke Kunshan University (DKU) in China.
For more information on the letter and the Committees’ actions, you can review the House Committee on Education and Workforce’s press release.
Senate HELP Committee Hearing
On May 21st beginning at 9:00AM Central Time, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing titled, “The State of Higher Education.” For more details, including a link to watch live, you can review the Committee’s press release.
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development
On May 21st beginning at 9:15AM Central Time, the Committee on Education and Workforce’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will hold a hearing titled, “Restoring Excellence: The Case Against DEI.” For more details, including a link to watch live, you can review the Committee’s hearing page.
House Appropriations Committee Hearing
On May 21st beginning at 9:00AM Central time, the House Appropriations Committee will hold a budget hearing on the Department of Education. For more details, including a link to watch Secretary McMahon testify live, you can review the Committee’s hearing page.
Senate HELP Committee Nomination Hearing
On May 22nd, the Senate HELP Committee will hold an executive session on several nominations including, Nicholas Kent, Kirsten Baesler and Kevin O'Farrell for positions at the Department of Education. For more information on how to watch, you can review the Committee announcement.
Full House and Senate Hearing Schedule
If interested, you can see a full list of upcoming hearings on the Senate Hearings & Meetings Page. A review of this week’s committee hearings in the House of Representatives is available via the Committee Schedule within the House of Representatives Legislative Activity section on the Chamber’s main page.
House and Senate Floor Schedules
The House of Representatives and Senate are both scheduled to be in session and voting this week. A full list of votes can be found on the respective websites for the House of Representatives and the Senate as they are released.
Note: Links to external sites are provided for informational purposes and not meant to convey an endorsement of the Universities of Wisconsin.