1. Budget repair bill puts spotlight on Wisconsin
It is not often that Madison is thrust into the national spotlight. However, when Gov. Scott Walker introduced his plan to cut collective bargaining rights for public employees in February, he set off a movement that brought the state government to a standstill for more than a month, making our state capital the political crucible of the nation.
Supporters of the bill said it was necessary to balance the state budget, but the opposition claimed it was union busting and came out in force.
What followed Walker's announcement was nothing if not cinematic. Increasingly more protesters filled the Capitol in the week following the bill's announcement until tens of thousands staged a full out occupation lasting a total of 18 days until the last hold-outs were ordered to leave.
Signs decrying the new governor wallpapered nearly every surface inside the Capitol, drumming and chants continued through the night long after the lawmakers went home and demonstrators set up an infrastructure including food stations, a day-care center and even a small library to sustain the protest.
The scene inside the chambers was no less dramatic than what was going on outside of them. Legislators split down party lines fought bitterly on the floor, and on February 20 the 14 Democratic state senators fled to Illinois where they would stay for three weeks to deny Senate Republicans the quorum they needed to vote on the bill.
Although the ""Fab 14"" became as controversial as the bill itself, they succeeded in delaying it for a few weeks. However, on May 9 Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald found a way around the quorum issue by stripping the fiscal components from the bill.
However, a Dane County Judge found that Fitzgerald and the others involved broke the open meetings laws in order to pass it, and it is currently being held up in court.
Though the provisions have already passed and the protests have subsided, this event marked a turning point for Wisconsin and the state will be feeling the effects of it for a long time to come. Nine senators are now facing recall elections this summer because of the stances they took during the Capitol crisis and a potential recall for Walker looms on the horizon.
This was not just the biggest story for the campus or the state, but for a full month, the whole nation, and UW-Madison was in the center of it all.
—Ariel Shaprio
2. New Badger Partnership leaves UW at a crossroads
More than 40 years after the creation of the UW system, controversy erupted as Chancellor Biddy Martin proposed the New Badger Partnership, a plan to remove UW-Madison from the UW system.
The NBP would give UW-Madison a separate 21-member board of trustees, which would give the university authority in spending decisions as they face harsh budget cuts in 2011-'13.
Martin said the NBP would be a crucial milestone for UW-Madison that would allow the university to remain competitive globally.
Meanwhile, opposition grew among the other UW system chancellors who say the NBP would hurt higher education in Wisconsin by creating unnecessary competition between UW-Madison and the other UW system schools. Some students and faculty at UW-Madison oppose the partnership because they fear it will lead to privatization and tuition increases at the university.
As controversy intensified and protest broke out on campus, Martin caught a break when the UW-Madison Faculty Senate passed a motion stating their official support of the NBP.
The NBP could change UW-Madison drastically and will continue to be a topic of interest and debate around Wisconsin in the following months and maybe years.
—Alex DiTullio
3. Soglin re-ups
Paul Soglin was sworn in as Madison mayor for the third time in April after defeating incumbent Dave Cieslewicz. The race for mayor was a close call with Soglin edging out Cieslewicz by 700 votes.
Soglin surprised Cieslewicz when he announced his candidacy for mayor in December. In the February primary, Soglin also gained more votes than Cieslewicz by a narrow margin.
Cieslewicz previously beat Soglin for mayor in 2003. Soglin served as mayor from 1973 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1997. Soglin has held the mayoral position for more years than anyone else.
—Maggie DeGroot
4. 16 state Senators eligible for recall
Protesters who had been demonstrating at the Capitol turned to recall campaigns after the state legislature passed the budget repair bill early March.
Organizers from across the state campaigned against the 16 state Senators eligible for recall. Those against Republican senators have argued the process in which they passed the bill reflected the lack of transparency within the state government. Those collecting signatures to recall Democrat senators have argued it was unconstitutional for them to flee the state.
Sen. Dan Kapanke, R- La Crosse, was the first to have a recall petition filed against him, followed by Sen. Randy Hopper, R-Fond du Lac after it was discovered he was having an affair with a legislative aid and living outside of his district.
Recall campaigns have also turned in petitions against Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, Sen. Jim Holperin, D-Conover, Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, Sen. Robert Cowles, R- Green Bay, and Sen. Robert Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie.
Never before in Wisconsin history have nine senators simultaneously been forced to hold a recall elections.
Recall elections will take place in July.
—Samy Moskol
5. Result still unclear in Supreme Court race
After finishing 30 percentage points behind David Prosser in the Supreme Court primary, it appeared as if JoAnne Kloppenburg did not stand a chance against heavily the favored incumbent in the general election.
Seven weeks later, the two found themselves in the most contentious and partisan Supreme Court race in recent years.
The race soon became a referendum on Gov. Scott Walker's agenda after the uproar over the budget repair bill. Despite promises from both to be independent, liberals and union backers supported Kloppenburg while conservatives and Walker supporters sided with Prosser.
This enthusiasm from both sides resulted in a dramatic election night, with just a few hundred votes separating the candidates for most of the night. After a clerical error was discovered several days later, Prosser was declared the winner by just over 7,000 votes, with a recount currently underway.
No matter the final result, it is clear there is a sharp political divide in Wisconsin and that the state will be a battleground in the 2012 election.
—Adam Wollner
6. Mifflin in danger
The Mifflin Street Block Party began in 1969 as an outlet for UW-Madison student activism; however, the future of the event is question following two stabbing incidents at this year's party. These violent acts, including the increasing number of intoxicated attendees, could end the historic block party.
A 21-year-old UW-Madison student suffered life threatening injuries after being stabbed multiple times. A second stabbing occurred later that day when another victim sustained non-life threatening injuries.
Mayor Paul Soglin and other city officials have spoken about the possibility of changing the block party or even ending it after the acts of violence and high levels of intoxication of attendees.
—Maggie DeGroot
7. New Union South opens
After months of construction and anticipation, the eco-friendly Union South opened its doors to the public April 15 with all-night bowling and a concert featuring the indie-glamrock band, of Montreal.
The building includes entertainment such as a rock-climbing wall, a 350-seat movie theater, a bowling alley and a concert hall.
The union makes available various food options such New York style pizza, Chinese food and UW-Madison's famous Babcock Ice Cream.
As if exquisite design was not enough, the Union South is the first Leadership Energy and Environmental Design building on campus and is set to receive a gold rating. It used 88 percent of the materials from the former Union South building, as well as panels from the old Kohl Center floor.
—Alex DiTullio
8. ASM passes controversial fund
After heated debate last fall, the Associated Students of Madison passed the controversial Campus Services Fund near the end of this semester in a last-minute vote.
The CSF is an ASM funding stream that would guarantee financing to services student council deems vital, such as legal, tutoring and sexual assault services.
The proposal was ""indefinitely postponed,"" then relegated to Rules Committee after around 100 students spoke in opposition to the CSF during ASM open forum last December.
When the spring semester began, the CSF, brainchild of Student Services Finance Committee Chair Matt Manes, seemed all but dead. However, Manes reintroduced the CSF to council near the end of this semester.
The second vote on the CSF initially failed. But as the meeting drew to a close, Rep. Matt Beemsterboer motioned to reconsider the vote.
Student council members re-voted, and finally passed the CSF.
—Alison Bauter
9. Palin pays visit to Madison
Former vice presidential candidate and conservative superstar Sarah Palin appeared at a Madison Tea Party Rally in April supporting Gov. Scott Walker and sparked a mass protest against her visit.
The dueling rallies gave protesters the chance to see their counterparts up close, but resulted in little bipartisan agreement.
Few were swayed by the others' witty signs and slogans; others just wanted fresh produce from the farmer's market.
Palin praised Walker for fixing the budget and saving public-sector jobs, while reprimanding union leaders for hurting the people they represent.
Never missing a chance to fuel rumors of a 2012 run, she told supporters to ""let the 2012 election begin here."" She applauded Obama for building ""solar shingles and really fast trains [that] will magically save us"" and invited both parties on the ""bullet train to bankruptcy.""
—Patrick Tricker
10. Resnick snags District 8 seat
Recent UW-Madison graduate Scott Resnick beat out UW-Madison student Kyle Szarzynski for the District 8 seat on Madison's city council. District 8 is made up of a large amount of students including the Lakeshore residence halls and Langdon Street.
Resnick won 56.7 percent of the vote to take over former alder Bryon Eagon's seat. Eagon decided not to run for re-election after being hired to work for Teach for America in New York City. Eagon also endorsed Resnick.
Incumbent Bridget Maniaci retained her seat on city council representing District 2 after defeating challenger UW-Madison graduate student Sam Stevenson. Maniaci received 51.7 percent of the vote.
—Maggie DeGroot
