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 will meet in Madison on Thursday, September 18 and Friday, September 19. You can view the agenda, meeting materials, and webcasts on the website when available.
State Relations
Assembly Floor Session
The Assembly convened on the floor last week Thursday, September 11 to vote on various bills. You can view all bill actions and votes here. There were two bills on the calendar that may impact the UWs that are below.
Assembly Bill 39, relating to: requiring state employees to perform their work at the offices of their employer, passed the Assembly as amended on a 51-44 vote. The amendment that was adopted was Assembly Amendment 1.
Assembly Bill 58, relating to: flags flown, hung, or displayed from a flagpole or the exterior of state and local buildings and eliminating a related administrative rule, also passed the Assembly on a 50-44 vote.
Both bills still need to be voted on by the Senate.
Assembly Committee on Colleges & Universities
Assembly Bill 92, relating to: spinal cord injury research grants and symposia, passed the Assembly Committee on Colleges & Universities unanimously (10-0). UW Health had provided testimony in favor of this legislation during the public hearing as well.
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety
The Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety will be holding a public hearing on Wednesday, September 17, at 10am on Senate Bill 394, relating to: damage or graffiti to certain historical property and providing a penalty.
You can view the public hearing on WisconsinEye.
Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs
The Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs will be holding a public hearing on Thursday, September 18, at 1pm on Senate Bill 411, relating to: the University of Wisconsin Missing-in-Action Recovery and Identification Project, funding for the veterans housing and recovery program, eligibility changes for the veterans and surviving spouses property tax credit, and making an appropriation.
You can view the public hearing on WisconsinEye.
Federal Relations
Select Committee on the CCP
Together with the House Education and Workforce Committee, the House Select Committee on the CCP released a report titled, “Joint Institutes, Divided Loyalties: How the Chinese Communist Party Exploits U.S. University Partnerships to Empower China’s Military Repression,”
For more, you can read the Committee press release and full report.
Department of Education Updates
On September 10th, the U.S. Department of Education announced “it will end discretionary funding to several Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) grant programs that discriminate by conferring government benefits exclusively to institutions that meet racial or ethnic quotas.” For more, you can review the Department's press release.
On September 15th, the Department announced that it would make “investments in charter schools, American history and civics programs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).” For more, you can review the Department's press release.
Government Funding Updates
The House and Senate continue to work to advance legislation to fund the government before the end of the federal fiscal year, September 30th, with press reports indicating the House of Representatives may work to advance legislation as soon as this week. Any updates related to appropriations legislation will be shared via the House Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Appropriations.
Education and Workforce Committee Hearing
On September 16 beginning at 9:15AM Central Time, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will hold a hearing titled, “No More Surprises: Reforming College Pricing for Students and Families.”
Announced witnesses include:
- Dr. Andrew Gillen, Research Fellow, Cato Institute
- Mr. Lee S. Wishing III, Vice President for Student Recruitment and Chief Marketing Officer, Grove City College
- Ms. Amy Laitinen, Senior Director of Higher Education, New America
- Mr. Justin Draeger, Senior Vice President, Affordability, Strada Education Foundation
For more information or to watch live, you can review the Committee website.
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 this week’s 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
The House of Representatives and Senate are both scheduled to be in session and voting this week. A full list of votes can be found on the respective websites for the House of Representatives and the Senate as they are released.
Note: Links to external sites are provided for informational purposes and not meant to convey an endorsement of the Universities of Wisconsin.