Welcome to the Universities of Wisconsin Government Relations Newsletter. The Office of Government Relations provides legislative and political updates that impact the Universities of Wisconsin at the state and federal level.
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Board of Regents
The Board of Regents for the Universities of Wisconsin met virtually in a special session last week.
You can access the meeting materials and agenda here.
State Relations
State Building Commission
The State Building Commission met last week and took up projects of interest to our universities. Among them was the authorization to construct a privately owned student housing development on state-owned land through a public-private partnership for two new residence halls at UW-Madison that will provide approximately 1,690 student beds and a 400-seat dining facility.
In addition, approval was giving to construction of the Residence Halls Elevator Tower Additions at UW-La Crosse that will enhance accessibility and construction of five laboratory and lecture hall renovations at UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Parkside, as part of the 2025-27 Instructional Space Projects Program.
For further information on actions taken by the Building Commission, please see the Governor's press release here: Press Release: Gov. Evers Announces State Building Commission Approves $254 Million in Projects Across Wisconsin
Please check back for updates.
Federal Relations
Department of Education Update
On October 22, Secretary McMahon delivered remarks related to the Trump Administration's work on higher education. For more, you can review the press release and accompanying remarks here.
Full House and Senate Hearing Schedule
If interested, you can see a full list of upcoming hearings on the Senate Hearings & Meetings Page. A review of the committee hearings in the House of Representatives is available via the Committee Schedule within the House of Representatives Legislative Activity section on the Chamber’s main page.
House and Senate Floor Schedules
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are in scheduled district and state work periods; each chamber is scheduled to return to Washington DC in November.
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