Gov. Scott Walker's controversial proposal to split UW-Madison from the UW System and grant the university public authority status through Chancellor Biddy Martin's New Badger Partnership is dead, Republican officials said Thursday.
According to Mike Mikalsen, spokesman for state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, the Assembly and Senate Republican caucuses decided after recent meetings there is not enough support for the NBP to remain in Walker's state budget.
Republicans told The Capital Times the Joint Finance Committee will remove Walker's public authority status proposal from his state budget in the upcoming weeks.
""The take-away message is there doesn't seem to be support for fracturing the UW System,"" UW System Spokesperson David Giroux said. ""There does seem to be a lot of interest in keeping the UW System together and giving us the tools to manage $250 million in cuts.""
Giroux said legislators are now seriously considering giving all UW System schools control over budget, finances and personnel. According to Giroux, the system-wide flexibilities will help universities run efficiently in the immediate future and later when the economy improves.
""We've got a lot of i's to dot and t's to cross, but we are closer now than we ever have been [to achieving flexibilities],"" Giroux said.
UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin, who has vigorously supported the NBP, said she remains hopeful.
""It is my understanding that things are not done at the Capitol,"" Martin said in an email to The Capital Times. ""Major policy and budget decisions are often made close to the day of the vote. We're in the home stretch and I remain optimistic that our efforts in support of the New Badger Partnership will lead to a good outcome for UW-Madison, other System institutions, and the state of Wisconsin.""
UW-Madison neuroscience professor and NBP supporter Ronald Kalil said he will remain optimistic until the Joint Finance Committee has taken a vote on the partnership.
""The first thing to keep an eye out for [is] in early June, does the JFC leave [the NBP] in the budget bill or do they take it out?"" said Kalil. ""Until then it's all speculation.""
