The 2007-09 state budget remains a hotly contested issue, with hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for the University of Wisconsin System at stake.
The Republican-controlled Assembly's version of the budget vastly differs from that of the bipartisan Joint Finance Committee and Democratic state Senate.
UW System spokesperson David Giroux said UW is extremely concerned about the effects of the proposed Republican budget because, according to Giroux, it cuts funding for new building projects, veteran's tuition remission, and financial aid — all in addition to offering inadequate funding to keep existing programs afloat.
The cost of maintaining last year's academic programs, Giroux added, requires a $150 million increase to cover the rising costs of basic operations — health insurance, utilities and infrastructure.
The Assembly's budget allocates $30 million, an amount Giroux said would shrink the university.
"Do we maintain a level of quality students experienced last year, or do we step backwards?" Giroux said. "Providing one-fifth of the cost of doing business is not growth."
But Mike Mikalsen, research assistant for state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, said UW does not need $150 million to function.
"[UW's] cost to continue operates on the fact that they believe they should run on a higher inflationary basis," Mikalsen said. "We are not going to continue to chase this artificial higher-education inflation."
Wisconsin taxpayers are adamantly opposed to raising taxes, according to Mikalsen, who added the Republican Assembly, therefore, recognizes the need to set priorities that prevent any tax increases.
"When it comes to UW, they believe they have the right to say … 'You need to make changes so you can give us more [money],'" Mikalsen said. "The Republicans have made a strong stand that taxpayers are simply not going to have to pay more just because some bureaucrats are incapable of making tough choices."
Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle said the Republican budget's cuts to higher education eliminate necessary funding for Wisconsin students.
"The Republican budget [is cutting] access to higher education and … eliminating new initiatives on each campus that would generate the nurses, teachers and engineers the area needs for the future," Doyle said in a July statement.
UW-Madison would face a $45 million cut alone if the Republican budget passes, according to a UW statement.
"By virtue of its size, Madison would have to absorb the biggest single cut," Giroux said. "Over the years, we've absorbed some significant budget reductions, and we've been able to protect the classroom. We've cut everything else."
Giroux added UW fears two outcomes — having to raise tuition rates or decrease the number of class sections available — both of which will make it harder for the typical UW student to graduate.
"Our ability to make the most of nothing is a 10," Giroux said. "The state needs more educational opportunities, not less."
John Murray, spokesperson for Rep. Michael Huebsch, R-West Salem, agrees higher education is extremely important in Wisconsin, and said the Republican budget provides UW-Madison with all the necessary funding.
"We respect [UW-Madison's] viewpoint on the budget, but we believe [the budget] does provide the resources for UW-Madison to continue to operate at its current level," Murray said.
Republicans in the Assembly believe in addition to providing funds to keep the UW System afloat, their proposed budget provides extra money to pay for new programs and initiatives.
"We increased spending on the university by 3 percent over base, which results in an additional $62 million," Murray said.
But Giroux said the 3 percent biennial increase is false advertising — despite the increase in funding for new programs, the Republican budget does not provide enough money to maintain existing programs.
"The Assembly's version of the budget takes out about $120 million in state funding from current academic programs and student services," Giroux said. "Our biggest fear is that anything resembling the Assembly budget will pass."
