Gov. Jim Doyle announced Sunday the doors of the Wisconsin Historical Society Museum, located on Capitol Square at 30 N. Carroll St., will remain open.
According to Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, the Historical Society opted to close the museum after Doyle asked for a 10-percent budget cut. However, the Governor offered a plan to keep the museum open.
In an interview with The Capital Times, Doyle said changes to the state's budget will allow for museum employees' salaries as well as the yearly $535,000 needed for the facility's maintenance.
In addition, Doyle said the state will return $1.3 million to the Historical Society over the next two years, which amounts to 70 percent of the original budget cuts.
\I think the budget is going to be very tough because there's a $1.6 billion deficit,"" Black said, ""but I don't think in the context of a $50 billion budget the Historical Society's museum is a modest part of the State Historical Society's budget, much less the state budget as a whole.""
After announcing the museum's eventual closure, many community members voiced their disapproval.
""I certainly spoke to the governor's office about [the closure], and newspapers editorialized about it,"" Black said.
The museum, which opened in 1986, is a valuable source of information to the community, he said.
""The Historical Society's museum is very much an important part of how people in the state, especially young people, learn about our heritage. They can see actual artifacts, objects they learn about in the classroom and in books,"" Black said.
