The state Senate passed the biennial budget by one vote early Friday morning—which includes a provision that would force the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism off the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus—and moves the budget on to Gov. Scott Walker for final consideration.
The budget—which includes controversial items such as an expansion of private school vouchers and generally favored items such as a two-year tuition freeze at UW System schools—moved through the state Legislature relatively quickly due to each chamber taking only one scheduled day to debate and approve the document.
All Republican state senators voted in favor of the budget except state Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, who joined Democrats in opposition.
The Republican-controlled state Assembly passed the budget in a near partisan 55-42 vote Wednesday.
In addition to controversial portions referring to voucher expansion and Medicaid, the passed budget—which still largely mirrors the version approved by the state’s Joint Finance Committee—contains a provision that would force the WCIJ to move out of its current office space within Vilas Hall on UW-Madison’s campus.
The WCIJ is an organization devoted to expanding the amount and improving the quality of investigative journalism in Wisconsin, according to the organization’s website. The center currently receives rent-free space in the building in exchange for collaboration with UW-Madison’s journalism department, including paid internships for students.
Andy Hall, the center’s executive director, said the current budget proposal forcing the center to move would “harm students and will not save taxpayers a dime.”
However, Hall said he remains hopeful Walker will veto the “misguided” portion of the budget and save the document from diminishing educational opportunities for journalism students at UW-Madison.
The budget will now move to Walker, who has broad veto powers that allow him to rewrite and restructure portions he thinks need to be changed. Walker said he plans to sign the budget by July 1.
