Gov. Scott Walker announced in a statement Feb. 10 he plans to allot a portion of his budget, which will be released Feb. 20, to strengthening state education systems, including technical colleges and universities.
Walker said in the statement he promises to allocate roughly $132 million to his two-part plan for educational development.
In one part of his plan, the governor said he will unveil new legislation, which aims to fund worker training grants and establish an Office of Skills Development. Walker said he plans to implement all other educational initiatives, such as those involving higher education and K-12 reforms, through his budget.
The governor said the proposals specifically focus on the University of Wisconsin System, allocating $20 million to teach specific jobs-based skills as well as improving affordability for students.
Other system improvements would include an additional $2 million to increase the number of programs and courses at state universities, according to the statement. Walker also said he hopes to establish a credit rule that would allow students to transfer between UW system schools without losing previously earned credits.
Walker said his education and workforce initiatives would allow students to gain the skills necessary for available jobs across the state.
“My workforce development package provides a hand up to those who are able to work—not simply a handout,” he said in the statement.
The proposals come after the UW system was forced to accommodate an initial $250 million in cuts and an additional $65.7 million after Walker released his last budget in 2011, which Democrats criticized.
Walker has a $419.7 million net balance to work with as he crafts his upcoming budget, according to estimates by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
Budget to include deer control initiative
Gov. Scott Walker plans to include deer management solutions as part of his biennial budget that would focus on the joint management of herd populations by hunters, landowners and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The governor’s plans center on the 2012 Deer Trustee Report, compiled by hunters and conservationists. The report describes a proper management plan for the state’s deer population, including using technology and research to control population management issues like Chronic Wasting disease.
The budget allocation will aim to allow the state to create positions and systems that will help the DNR incorporate management ideas from the report.
