As thousands of protestors flooded campus on their way to the Capitol, some UW-Madison student groups tried to make sense of the proposed Budget Repair Bill for students.
The College Republicans said in an e-mail Tuesday that the bill is necessary for the state to deal with the deficit Wisconsin faces.
The group said many essential government programs may lose funding if the bill is not passed, such as BadgerCare, which would cause ""thousands of children to lose health care.""
The College Republicans also said the bill is not nearly as drastic as actions being taken in New York and California.
""No one wants to make these cuts, but our state's situation is dire,"" the College Republicans' e-mail said.
Also Tuesday, the Associated Students of Madison held a press conference at which student government leaders from UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Eau Claire and UW-Marinette spoke against the bill.
UW-Eau Claire Student Senate President Dylan Jambrek said professors at Eau Claire have already expressed that the bill would make it difficult for them to pay bills and they would consider leaving Wisconsin if it were passed.
""This isn't a debate about principles or vague terms like collective bargaining, for instance, but it's about people and the livelihood of teachers, students and our institutions,"" Jambrek said.
UW-Milwaukee Student Association President Travis Romero-Boeck said approximately 400 students and professors in Milwaukee held a rally yesterday reacting negatively to the bill.
ASM President Brandon Williams said the press conference was indicative of the reactions of students from all UW schools, not only Madison.
""This is going to affect the UW System, and we're not OK with that,"" Williams said.
