The Senate moved to increase student representation on the UW Board of Regents Tuesday, voting to add a student to represent “non-traditional” students to the UW System’s governing board.
The bill, yet to be approved by the Assembly and governor, would add a second undergraduate to the 17-member UW Board of Regents. The new student would have to be at least 24 years old or a parent.
Currently, the governor appoints one student regent to a two-year term. If signed into law, the new bill will require the governor to select an undergraduate previously nominated by student government.
Rep. Sheldon Wasserman, D-Milwaukee, said he considers the bill essential for students.
“The Board of Regents is the true oversite board for the University, so why shouldn’t students be on it?” he asked. “Students can bring a unique insight to the regents.”
The committee currently consists of the state superintendent, the president of the technical college system board, 14 citizen members and one student, appointed by the governor. The bill stipulates that the additional student member be representative of “nontraditional students, such as those who are employed or are parents.”
Student government leaders said they are pleased the Senate passed the bill.
“The Senate demonstrated it has the interests of students and democracy at heart today,” said United Council of UW students President Matt Fargen. “Students have been working hard to ensure that their voices and perspectives are heard on the UW Board of Regents and that work is paying off.”
State Senate President Fred Risser, D-Madison, said the status quo is unacceptable.
“We have tens of thousands of students on these campuses and one representative,” he said. “That isn’t very representative.”
Milwaukee would lose representative
The state Assembly gave an initial nod of approval by a vote of 78-21 to a redistricting plan that would remove a seat from the Milwaukee area. The map now goes to the Senate for consideration. It has to be approved by the full Legislature and Gov. Scott McCallum to become law.
If approved, it would end more than 100 years of Milwaukee being represented by at least two members in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Removing one of Wisconsin’s nine congressional districts is mandated by 2000 U.S. Census statistics that showed the state’s population did not grow as fast as other states.
The plan proposes using only one state seat to represent Milwaukee and suburbs Cudahy, St. Francis, South Milwaukee, part of West Allis and West Milwaukee.
Campaign finance moves on
Senators agreed to hold on to an Assembly-approved campaign finance bill Tuesday after lengthy debate. Making 15 amendments to the proposal, the Senate granted the legislation preliminary approval, but will not hold a final vote on the bill until Gov. Scott McCallum provides a written promise to sign the legislation without changes.
Although the governor has repeatedly confirmed his “support for campaign finance reform,” McCallum wrote to state Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Chvala and the bill’s author, Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, that he would not fill that promise.
The Senate’s next meeting is Tuesday; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, will announce if the bill is up for further discussion.
