Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed legislation Monday that would have required the UW System Board of Regents to include citizen members from seven different geographic districts.
Doyle vetoed the bill in its entirety citing his concern for unnecessary duplication of programs across the UW System schools. He said creating districts would also cause members to increase their focus on regional issues rather than the system as a whole.
""[The bill] will hamper the board's ability to eliminate underutilized programs, reallocate resources between campuses and address the evolving educational needs of our workforce,"" he said in his veto message.
State Rep. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, the author of the state Assembly version of the bill, said he was frustrated with Doyle's decision to veto the legislation.
He said the legislation is important for ensuring there is representation from across the state on the board.
""The bill provides regional diversity to the UW Board of Regents and would help establish more equitable representation on higher education decision-making in our state,"" he said in a statement.
Last week, some legislators and former UW System presidents sent letters to Doyle urging him to veto the bill. The legislation originally passed through the Senate and the Assembly with bipartisan support.
