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State Rep. Mark Gottlieb, R-Port
Washington, said his objective is to ensure the state is fiscally
responsible when it comes to both economic and social issues.

Gottlieb, a member of the Assembly
Colleges and Universities Committee who voted against the state
budget, is a supporter of Republican presidential candidate John
McCain and said the most pressing issue in the nation today is
protecting the country from Islamic terrorism.

However, economically, Gottlieb said on
both a federal and state level, the No. 1 challenge is restoring a
degree of fiscal discipline.

"We have to start budgeting more
honestly," Gottlieb said. "The budget we enacted here continues a
trend of not running our financial house in a responsible way."

Given the fiscal situation of the
state, Gottlieb said for a number of years he has been interested in
an academic course redesign program, which further uses technology to
provide undergraduate education and could cost 30 percent less to
fund than regular university classes.

According to Gottlieb, UW participated
in a pilot program in introductory chemistry and found they could
deliver the same amount of instruction but dramatically reduce costs.

The saved funding could then be put
back into the system and be contributed to other programs.

"To be competitive, we need a more
educated workforce and accessibility to individual instruction has to
be there," Gottlieb said. "It is either going to take a lot more
money — we don't have to do that — or we have to change the way
we do business to make it more cost-effective."

UW College Democrats Chair Oliver
Kiefer said he thinks distance learning is a good part of education
but is very hesitant to promote broad-based learning for 100 percent
of introductory level classes.

Kiefer said he is concerned distance
learning would diminish the UW System's reputation of academic
excellence and damage the value of students' degrees.

UW College Republicans Chair Sara
Mikolajczak said in theory, the plan sounds like a good idea but
added success depends on the student.

Gottlieb said his fiscally conservative
stance carries through on his social agenda and his choice to reject
the need for domestic partner benefits in the state university
system.

"When you look at the extension of
domestic partner benefits, this is fiscally a big undertaking,"
Gottlieb said. "I don't feel my constitutes want the money spent
in that way."

Gottlieb added it is unfortunate any
time a valuable person leaves an organization like the university but
said it does not mean the state should give them anything.

However, Kiefer disagreed with
Gottlieb's position, adding domestic partner benefits are necessary
for the UW System.

"I think it is fiscally irresponsible
of the Legislature to allow these people to leave," Kiefer said.

In addition, Gottlieb said currently he
does not support the bill dubbed Compassionate Care for Rape Victims
— legislation that would require a hospital to provide a rape
victim with information about emergency contraception and provide it
upon request.

Gottlieb said because there are a
fairly sizable number of medical professionals who are against
emergency contraception — some saying it is equivalent to abortion
because life begins at conception –he will not vote for the bill,
as it would require medical employees to offer this option despite
their personal beliefs.

"I respect that there are medical
people who don't believe that this is the right thing to do,"
Gottlieb said. "That is why I voted against it."

However, Kiefer said doctors take an
oath to provide the best medical care, including offering women
emergency contraception.

"Far too many women in our society
have to go through victimization," Kiefer said. "We need to take
care of victims who have been victimized."