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Bill may change regent makeup

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by Keegan Kyle

Monday, March 19, 2007

Republican legislators will introduce a bill today aiming to change the geographic representation of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.

The bill would require governors to appoint regents so at least one member from each of Wisconsin's congressional districts is represented.

State Rep. Kitty Rhoades, R-Hudson, one of the bill's sponsors, said the board "tends to be very limited geographically."

"There's a lot of the state that has no representation on that board," Rhoades said. "They make the decisions that impact every family who send kids to a university."

Of the 14 citizen members currently appointed to board, nine are from Madison and Milwaukee. Five others are scattered across the northern and western parts of the state. But Rhoades said no current citizen member resides in Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, which lies in the southeast corner of the state.

However, Rhoades said the bill is not intended to change the political composition of the board. Two citizen members of the board currently reside in districts with Republican congressman, and every citizen member sitting on the board was appointed by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.

"It is not about politics; it's about equity," Rhoades said. "I think that makes it a good bill."

But the two student members sitting on the board — Christopher Semenas and Thomas Shields — are currently studying at UW-Parkside and UW-Oshkosh, respectively. Including Semenas, who goes to school located in the 1st Congressional District, every district of Wisconsin is currently represented on the board.

The Board of Regents is the governing body of the UW System. All but two members are appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate for staggering seven-year terms. Student members are chosen through an application process and serve two-year terms.

The two non-appointed memberships on the Board of Regents — the elected state superintendent of public education and the president of the Wisconsin Technical College System — are not affected by the bill. Student representation would not be affected, either.

As of press time, Gov. Doyle or a press office spokesperson did not return messages from The Badger Herald seeking comment.

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