Senators Hansen and Bewley Request the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges hold a public hearing to learn more about the Impact of Gov. Walker's Budget Cuts to the UW and Technical Colleges.

MADISON - State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) and State Senator Janet Bewley (D-Mason) are requesting that the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges hold a public hearing to learn more about the impact the Governor’s budget will have on higher education and specifically University of Wisconsin campuses across the state.

“The budget proposal would impose massive changes to higher education in this state. We hear on a daily basis from the people who would be impacted by these changes: students, their families, employees of the educational institutions themselves as well as leaders from the communities in which they reside,” said Senator Hansen.

The Legislators pointed out that, although the Joint Finance Committee held four hearings around the state only one of them was held at a UW campus, UW-Barron County in Rice Lake.

“We understand the Joint Finance Committee did hear some testimony in regards to these changes from citizens across the state during their hearings. However, the proposed changes to higher education are so far reaching that at the very least a hearing is justified for further scrutiny,” said Senator Bewley.

Governor Walker’s budget seeks to cut funding to UW campuses by $360 million, spin off the UW-System into a quasi-private authority that could lead to future, significant tuition increases, and that would make leaders of UW campuses and UW system less accountable to students and taxpayers.

In their letter to Committee Chair Senator Shelia Harsdorf (R-River Falls), Senators Bewley and Hansen said even though the Joint Finance has begun its executive session the hearing could provide legislators valuable information as we approach the budget debate. “There is too much at stake and decisions made during the next few months will have a huge impact on thousands of citizens and their families across the state for years to come.”