state-news - The Daily Cardinal

President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of voucher and charter school proponent Betsy DeVos to Secretary of Education has become one of the most controversial of his cabinet picks.

STATE NEWS

UW-Madison expert: Secretary of Education nominee DeVos is ‘anti-public school,’ ‘anti-teacher’

By Lilly Price | Jan. 18, 2017

Wisconsin legislators and public school supporters remain wary following controversial Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos’s confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., Tuesday. President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of billionaire DeVos to the position has been hotly contested both in Washington and throughout the nation. Criticism stems from DeVos’s lack of experience in public education and that neither she nor her children have attended a public school. DeVos’s advocacy for school choice in the form of taxpayer-funded voucher schools and charter schools has also raised concern.

In his second amendment of the College Savings Plan since 2013, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind introduced a bill Tuesday to incentivize Wisconsin families to save for college.

STATE NEWS

U.S. Rep introduces new college affordability bill for Wisconsin families

By Madeline Schachte | Jan. 17, 2017

As the conversation of college affordability takes a national spotlight, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, introduced bipartisan amendments to a national law Tuesday that are designed to help Wisconsin families weather the cost of higher education.

A recent report detailed the negative effects of a lack of teachers due to reduced school funding and resources.

STATE NEWS

Report shows educational funding cuts result in teaching vacancies at many schools

By Lilly Price | Jan. 17, 2017

Most school spending consists of employee salaries and benefits, and Wisconsin school districts have reduced both, according to the report.

Gov. Scott Walker's new proposal will end the current tuition freeze at UW System schools and lower tuition for Wisconsin residents. The percentage tuition will be reduced by has not been disclosed.

STATE NEWS

In-state tuition cut aims to make college more affordable for Wisconsin students

By Lilly Price | Jan. 17, 2017

Gov. Scott Walker plans to cut in-state undergraduate tuition, which many view as a move that could help ease the burden of college costs and propel Wisconsin students to a dream of receiving a higher education. The state hasn’t seen a tuition reduction since 1982. Although Walker didn’t elaborate on the details of the proposed tuition reduction when he announced it during his State of the State address last week, he did explain that the cut would extend to all of the 26 UW System schools. The tuition cut does not apply to out-of-state students or graduate students.

Gov. Scott Walker said he will cut tuition for in-state students at UW System schools.

CAMPUS NEWS

Walker announces cut to undergraduate in-state tuition for all UW schools

By Lilly Price and Hannah J. Olson | Jan. 10, 2017

Gov. Scott Walker announced Tuesday in his seventh State of the State address that he will seek to cut in-state tuition at all UW System schools.

CAMPUS NEWS

Top 10 News of Fall 2016

Dec. 24, 2016

In closing out the fall semester, The Daily Cardinal looks back at the most newsworthy moments.

Wisconsin legislators recently called for UW-Madison to remove a course called “The Problem of Whiteness,” and threatened budget cuts if the university didn't comply.

STATE NEWS

Legislators threaten funding, professor over ‘The Problem of Whiteness’ class

By Lilly Price | Dec. 20, 2016

Wisconsin legislators have come out strongly against a UW-Madison class called “The Problem of Whiteness,” suggesting it may impact the university’s upcoming budget if administrators don’t take action.

President-elect Donald Trump visited West Allis Tuesday as part of his “Thank You Tour” Jill Stein’s recount resulted in an additional 131 votes for Trump.

STATE NEWS

President-elect Donald Trump visits Milwaukee County on 'Thank You Tour'

By Lilly Price | Dec. 14, 2016

WEST ALLIS, Wis.—Dressed in matching black “Make America Great Again hats,” Trump pins and white Trump t-shirts, Juliana McMan and her three sisters stood together, eagerly waiting to see President-elect Donald Trump Tuesday night. McMan, a day-one Trump supporter and a recent DePaul University graduate, traveled two hours from her home in western Illinois to the State Fairgrounds where she was one in a crowd of thousands that attended Trump’s “Thank You Tour.” “The Chicago rally got shut down because crazy protesters and stuff,” McMan said.

STATE NEWS

Presidential recount wraps up in Wisconsin with no major changes

By Lilly Price | Dec. 12, 2016

Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s $3.5 million presidential recount came to a close in Wisconsin Monday with only 1,769 of the 2.95 million ballots differing from the Nov.

CAMPUS NEWS

As financial aid office pushes to help students, state is unable to provide more grant funding

By Andrew Bahl and Madeline Heim | Dec. 12, 2016

The state’s biennial budget might seem complicated, but it has very real effects for the students, faculty, administration and staff that make up the UW System.

STATE NEWS

Student climate activists brace for Trump

By Lucas Sczygelski | Nov. 21, 2016

As last week’s election shock dissipates, climate change activists and policy professionals are coming to terms with a president-elect who rejects climate science as conspiracy and promises to roll back regulatory regimes and international agreements meant to curtail carbon emissions.

UW-Eau Claire will face a lawsuit following complaints about students not getting a service credit requirement fulfilled through religious volunteer work. State Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, supported the move.

STATE NEWS

Religious freedoms organization sues UW-Eau Claire for student discrimination

By Hannah J. Olson | Nov. 13, 2016

As post-election tensions rise nationwide, UW-Eau Claire came under fire for a school policy denying students community service credit for religion-focused volunteer work. After strong GOP gains in state legislature, Republicans are speaking out about a squabble characterized as “anti-religious political correctness” by state Sen.

STATE NEWS

Priebus to serve as Trump’s chief of staff

By Jake Skubish | Nov. 13, 2016

Reince Priebus will serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s chief of staff, according to a statement from Trump Sunday. Priebus, the Republican National Committee Chairman, will provide Trump with the experience and political connections the billionaire outsider lacks.

STATE NEWS

Undocumented students pursue activist alternatives to voting

By Jake Skubish | Nov. 9, 2016

Thousands of students across Wisconsin cast their ballots Tuesday in the hopes that their voice will influence the future policy decisions of our nation.

STATE NEWS

Students skip ballot box over choosing between Clinton, Trump

By Julia Gilban-Cohen | Nov. 9, 2016

Many UW-Madison students headed to the polls on Election Day, though one in particular didn’t vote for a presidential candidate—he casted a vote for every other position on the ballot instead. Tuesday marked the second election Eric Underwood, a graduate student and registered Republican from Illinois, voted in; however, in 2012 he cast a vote for presidential candidate Mitt Romney. “I just feel much better about myself not voting for anyone and not writing anyone in either,” Underwood said about casting his absentee ballot.

Republicans extended their lead in both houses of the state Legislature Tuesday.

STATE NEWS

Republicans expand lead in state Legislature

By Tenley Sanduski and Sam Schulz | Nov. 9, 2016

Republicans maintained their majorities in both the state Assembly and state Senate Tuesday. With all 99 seats in the state Assembly up for election, the Republicans earned enough seats to maintain control of the chamber.

STATE NEWS

Republicans maintain majority in House

By Gina Heeb and Hannah J. Olson | Nov. 9, 2016

House Republicans maintained a majority in Wisconsin and nationwide, an unsurprising result in an otherwise volatile election season.

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., earned a second term in Congress Tuesday, defeating old rival, Democrat Russ Feingold.

STATE NEWS

Ron Johnson wins second six-year term as Wisconsin’s U.S. senator

By Emily Curtis and Lilly Price | Nov. 9, 2016

Republican incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson battled Democratic former Sen. Russ Feingold for the Wisconsin Senate seat Tuesday, winning a second term despite trailing in every poll before Election Day. Even though many considered Feingold the favorite, the race tightened up during the last week, showing a close statistical tie before election day. Johnson celebrated his victory in his hometown of Oshkosh, where Gov.

STATE NEWS

Students in shock as Clinton loses Wisconsin, the presidency

By Andrew Bahl | Nov. 9, 2016

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton entered the night as the favorite to win the White House. But as the night wore on, Clinton’s odds of winning dwindled.

State Rep. Todd Novak is running on his bipartisan voting record against Democratic challenger Jeff Wright.

STATE NEWS

Despite left-leaning district, Novak hopes to hold off Wright in southwestern Wisconsin

By Andrew Bahl | Nov. 7, 2016

Each week, The Daily Cardinal will be taking a look at down-ballot races throughout the state. This week, we visit the 51st Assembly District in southwestern Wisconsin, where incumbent Todd Novak and educator Jeff Wright face off. If you look at State Rep.

State News