Latest news with #UWSystem
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State lawmakers are working on the two-year budget. What is it, and why does it matter?
Over the next several weeks, you're likely to hear a lot about Wisconsin's biennial budget, the state's two-year spending plan that sets funding levels for schools, transportation, mental health and more. The Republican-controlled state Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers both have a role in shaping the budget. After Evers pitched his plan, the powerful Joint Finance Committee modifies the massive bill, which Evers will take action on later this summer. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel will follow upcoming budget hearings and how lawmakers' decisions will impact government services and programs. Here's a broad timeline of what to expect. The budget process starts when state agencies — such as the Department of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin System and Department of Public Instruction — make requests for funding over the next two years. Typically, those are released toward the end of even-numbered years. State superintendent Jill Underly unveiled a $4 billion request for the DPI in November 2024. The UW System's $855 million request was announced in August. More: Does the UW System's $855 million budget request bring Wisconsin closer to average? These agency requests shape the governor's budget proposal, but the governor often makes changes by removing or adding specific programs or tweaking funding levels. The governor is required to deliver a budget message to the Legislature. Evers gave that speech Feb. 18 this year. His plans included a new tax bracket for the state's wealthiest residents, expanding the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program and addressing lead exposure among children. The budget proposal is also a chance for Evers to lay out policies he supports, such as marijuana legalization and Medicaid expansion, though Republicans often remove them from the budget. More: Gov. Tony Evers' budget has a $2.4 billion net tax increase, would create a shortfall As of early May, this is the step we're at. The budget is in the hands of the Joint Finance Committee, which is comprised of 16 lawmakers from both parties and houses. Committee members hosted public listening sessions across the state in April. Now, the Republican-controlled committee will hold several, hours-long executive sessions in the Capitol to make changes to the governor's budget, piece by piece. In 2023, those meetings took place in May and June. Republicans historically ignore much of what's in Evers' budget. The committee started its work May 8 by eliminating hundreds of ideas in his proposal. But it's possible this budget cycle will have more compromise — Evers and legislative leaders are holding negotiations this year, which is unusual for them to do. More: Republicans scrap over 30 programs dedicated to behavioral health care from Evers' budget Once the Joint Finance Committee finishes its work, the budget bill goes to the full Assembly and Senate. In 2023, the Senate approved the budget June 28, and the Assembly passed it a day later. Two Republican senators joined Democrats in voting no, though the vote is typically along party lines. During floor debate two years ago, Democrats put forward numerous last-ditch amendments, trying to add some of Evers' policy ideas back into the budget. All were rejected by Republicans. June 30 is the deadline to pass a budget, but lawmakers have gone beyond that date in the past. Missing the deadline doesn't have immediate impacts; spending levels stay where they are until a new plan is in place. From there, the budget bill goes to Evers' desk to become law. The governor can veto the entire state budget. Typically, though, Evers and other governors have used their powerful partial veto authority to remove words, numbers and punctuation from the budget, which can create new meanings or change spending amounts. In 2023, Evers issued 51 partial vetoes when he signed the budget into law July 5. On April 18, the state Supreme Court upheld Evers' partial veto that locked in funding increases for public schools for 402 years by deleting a hyphen and a "20" in reference to the 2024-25 school year. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said his party would discuss how to write the 2025-27 budget in ways that limit Evers' partial veto opportunities. GOP leaders have also floated passing items typically included in the budget as separate bills to reduce the chance of vetoes. More: Republicans scour for options to sidestep Tony Evers vetoes, including not using digits in the budget More: Why did Wisconsin's capital move from Belmont to Madison? Corruption, land and lobbying The state budget impacts daily life across Wisconsin. Cuts at the federal level could make funding from the state even more crucial. Funding for the UW System dictates whether tuition will increase or remain flat for in-state undergraduates. Grants in the budget could address the rising cost of child care. Infrastructure projects, such as highway construction and traffic calming measures, are also considered in the budget. State prisons in Green Bay and Waupun could be closed or renovated as part of budget negotiations. The budget also dictates how much money the state takes in — including through income taxes. The last budget delivered an average income tax cut of $36, down from $573 in Republicans' plan, which Evers said focused relief on the wealthiest residents. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What exactly is the Wisconsin state budget, and why does it matter?
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration terminates more UW-Madison student visas
More international students studying at Wisconsin colleges and universities have had their visas revoked by the Trump administration, scrambling their plans to study and work in the U.S. A terminated visa generally means the student must immediately leave the U.S. There typically is no grace period. The University of Wisconsin-Madison identified at least 13 cases Monday. A university spokesperson said there were at least 26 terminations as of Wednesday afternoon, which included 15 current students and 11 recent alumni on their student visas but working. UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone said in a message to faculty and staff there were 10 students or alumni who had their visas terminated as of Wednesday morning. Mone said there was no reason to believe the 10 canceled visas at UWM had anything to do with protest activity; some other students nationally have been targeted for their participation in pro-Palestinian protests last year. Some student visas were revoked for no apparent reason or for minor violations, such as speeding tickets, that previously would not warrant such a serious consequence, according to lawsuits filed by students in other states. The Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, which represents more than 570 public and private colleges and universities across the country, said recent revocations appeared to lack cause and raised concerns about fairness and due process. "The government's actions and rhetoric create an atmosphere of fear, threaten academic freedom, chill free expression, and jeopardize the well-being of noncitizen members of our campus communities," the organization said in a statement. The 10 UWM cases may be part of the 14 non-Madison cases the UW System previously identified but did not break down by institution. UW System spokesperson Mark Pitsch said Thursday he had no updated number to share and did not immediately clarify whether the UWM cases were included in the 14 across the UW System. The State Department has offered little insight into how and why specific students were selected for visa termination. "We don't go into the rationale for what happens with individual visas," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said at a Tuesday press conference. "What we can tell you is that the department revokes visas every day in order to secure our borders and to keep our community safe, and we'll continue to do so." (This story may be updated.) Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at kmeyerhofer@ or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Trump administration terminates more UW-Madison student visas
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Over 2 dozen international students at University of Wisconsin System schools see visas revoked
The Trump administration revoked the visas of more than two dozen current or former University of Wisconsin System students, UW officials have announced. A terminated visa generally means the student must immediately leave the U.S. There typically is no grace period. Here's what to know about the visa cancellations across Wisconsin universities: UW-Madison said six current students and seven alumni who received employment extensions of their visas had their visas terminated as of Monday. UW-Madison said it played no role in the terminations, was unaware of any Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity on campus and did not believe the terminations were related to free speech or protests. UW-Madison enrolls about 8,000 international students, according to university data. The international student services division has contacted the 13 affected students to inform them of potential ramifications if they stay in the country and where to access legal resources, if requested. UW System spokesperson Mark Pitsch said officials were aware of 14 cases at the 12 other UW institutions involving students or former students. He was unable to break down these cases by institution. International student enrollment has been increasing across the UW System, from 9,200 in 2014-15 to 10,600 in 2023-24. The increase has been driven primarily by growing the numbers of graduate students. Altogether, international students made up 6.5% of the overall student population in 2023-24. Nationally, some of the students whose visas have been revoked participated in pro-Palestinian protests. For example, Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student of Palestinian descent who was active in campus protests, was arrested and sent to Louisiana for possible deportation, despite being a permanent resident. But a number of other student visas were revoked for no apparent reason, leaving students and schools guessing why individuals were targeted. The visa terminations are part of a nationwide campaign to strip international students of their ability to stay in the U.S., often for reasons unclear to the universities. Nearly 300 students nationally have been notified of visa cancellations, The New York Times reported this week. In several of the most high-profile cases, the Trump administration is not accusing the student visa holders of any crimes. The Trump administration has said Secretary of State Marco Rubio has the authority to revoke the visas of non-citizens if their actions pose "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences." The White House directed inquiries to the State Department. A staff member at the press office there pointed to comments State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce made Tuesday at a news conference about student visa revocations. "We don't go into statistics or numbers. We don't go into the rationale for what happens with individual visas," Bruce said. "What we can tell you is that the department revokes visas every day in order to secure our borders and to keep our community safe, and we'll continue to do so." Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at kmeyerhofer@ or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer. Sophie Carson is a general assignment reporter who reports on religion and faith, immigrants and refugees and more. Contact her at scarson@ or 920-323-5758. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Student visas revoked for at least 27 University of Wisconsin students
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow, fired over porn videos, sues for wrongful termination
Former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow filed a federal lawsuit Monday in a last-ditch effort to reclaim his teaching job after he was fired last fall for appearing in pornographic videos with his wife. The lawsuit argues Gow's termination violated the First Amendment and flouted the UW System's committment to free expression. "I think this is an important moment for free speech and I'd like to think this will result in a court saying you can't fire someone for what they do on the internet on their own time," Gow, 64, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "It sounds grandiose but maybe we can get people to rethink pornography." Milwaukee-based attorney Mark Leitner and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a national free speech-focused nonprofit, filed the lawsuit on Gow's behalf on Monday, the first day of spring semester classes at UW-La Crosse. Had Gow not been fired last September, the semester would have marked his return to the classroom after nearly 17 years as chancellor. The UW System did not immediately return a request for comment. The lawsuit asks the court to order the UW Board of Regents to reinstate Gow as a tenured professor and award an unspecified amount in damages. Gow's termination meant the loss of his $91,915 faculty salary and more than $313,000 in unused sick leave. A program allows state employees to convert unused sick leave to pay for health insurance premiums upon retirement. UW-La Crosse said Gow's amount could have potentially purchased health insurance for he and his wife through age 75. "The First Amendment protects Dr. Gow's speech, even if it may be unpopular or contrary to the majority of public sentiment," the lawsuit said. "Indeed, the First Amendment is most important when the danger of stifling controversial speech is at its highest." Gow and his wife filmed videos, sometimes with adult film stars, for years. The couple decided in late 2023 to post the videos on public platforms, such as OnlyFans, LoyalFans and PornHub. The regents fired Gow as chancellor days after the UW System learned of his unorthodox hobby from a complainant who requested anonymity. Gow's contract, however, also came with a tenured faculty appointment. During the disciplinary process to terminate Gow's professorship, UW System attorneys argued Gow would pose a "serious risk" for UW-La Crosse if he returned to the classroom. They said he displayed a pattern of poor judgment, citing his 2018 decision to invite an adult film actress he had filmed with to speak on campus and extensive media interivews. UW System attorneys said legal precedent was on their side, pointing to a 2004 U.S. Supreme Court case about a San Diego police officer fired after posting sex tapes online. The court ruled in favor of the city, which argued the officer's activity hampered the department's function and wasn't a matter of public concern. Gow said the San Diego case was a was a poor and outdated comparison because the police officer wore his official city police uniform in the video and pantomimed police work, while he made brief and vague mentions on video to his job, such as a 'Midwestern location,' his 'academic career,' and one instance when his name was said on camera. A faculty committee unanimously recommended Gow lose his teaching job. They said a professor creating porn videos in their private capacity wasn't unethical, but they found Gow's response after his pastime became public to be problematic. They said he "exploited" his role as a faculty member and capitalized on the controversy without the university's interests in mind. Gow pointed to UW-La Crosse's strong financial position and healthy enrollment, saying these undercut claims about reputational harm. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel asked several experts last year to weigh the merits of Gow's case because he had publicly floated the idea of a lawsuit even before he was fired. Corey Silverstein, one of only a few attorneys in the country who specialize in the adult entertainment industry, estimated wrongful termination claims by adult content creators are won less than 30% of the time, and even less so when it involves an educator. That's because employment contracts often have morality clauses requiring workers to meet a certain behavioral standard. The UW-La Crosse employee handbook requires faculty to 'exhibit a level of behavior supporting the university mission." Howard Schweber, a UW-Madison political science professor and expert on constitutional law, said one factor that may hurt Gow is his videos were not just private activities, but earning him money. Commercial expression is much less protected under the First Amendment than other forms of communication. In the four months since Gow lost his job, he said he's felt "a little stir crazy." He's given interviews to a couple of podcasts and is working on his third book with his wife, Carmen Wilson, about their experience in the adult entertainment industry. Wilson continues to create vegan cooking videos that Gow said he films. He said the two of them haven't filmed a sex video since they made their last one in summer 2023. One of the more rewarding experiences Gow and Wilson recently had was speaking to a media law class at the University of Minnesota. They took a photo on the First Amendment bench in Murphy Hall, which houses the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The class clapped at the end of their talk, the instructor, Christopher Terry, said. Several went up to the couple afterward to ask for a selfie. Gow said the young students were much more open-minded than the administrators he faced off against over the past year. Kelly Meyerhofer covers higher education in Wisconsin. Contact her at kmeyerhofer@ or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow sues over porn videos
