After months of anticipation, UW-Whitewater student regent Tommie Jones was confirmed unanimously by the state Senate Tuesday.
Gov. Scott McCallum appointed Jones July 9, and on July 24, Jones was referred to the Committee on Universities, Housing and Government Operations. A public hearing on his confirmation was held Oct. 3, and the committee recommended Jones to the Senate Oct. 10, with a vote of seven to zero.
?I am very pleased that the Senate has confirmed my nomination unanimously,? Jones said.
Jones, the former head of student government on the UW-Whitewater campus, said he has worked hard on his campus and will continue to work hard to help all UW System students.
?I plan to build relations with different student groups,? Jones said. ?Student governments are important, but I plan to build relations with other groups. That is part of the reason I am going to different campuses.?
Also in the legislature Tuesday, state Senate Democrats aimed to restore funding for the Community Options Program and the Community Integration Plan by an attempted override of McCallum’s partial veto, which required a two-thirds vote.
The override failed by an 18-15 vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, hoped partisanship would not play into the decision; however, the vote fell along party lines, as all 15 dissenters were Republicans and all supporters Democrats.
