After two Republican state representatives voiced opposition to the New Badger Partnership, State Rep. Dean Knudson, R-Hudson, also spoke out against the UW System split Thursday, saying it was not fit for the current budget.
Knudson, vice chair of the Colleges and Universities Committee, said he has been pushing for flexibilities for all UW campuses before the budget was announced.
If the New Badger Partnership were to pass, UW-Madison would be run under a public authority model with its own Board of Trustees, effectively splitting it from other UW colleges and universities.
""Many of UW-Madison's objectives may be accomplished by statute without granting public authority,"" Knudson said in a statement. ""Changes that will benefit all of our universities including UW-River Falls can be included in the budget.""
His statement came two days after state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, offered an alternative to the New Badger Partnership similar to the Wisconsin Idea Partnership in which all UW System schools would be granted flexibilities.
State Rep. Evan Wynn, R-Whitewater, also announced his opposition to the New Badger Partnership because it removes UW-Madison from the authority of the GI Bill, which provides free tuition to veterans.
Knudson emphasized his dedication to UW System reform ""to provide quality education and cutting edge research to support the creation of jobs and the success of Wisconsin's economy.""
—Samy Moskol
