UW Budget Cut, Tuition Freeze up for Vote

Walker Proposed $300M in Cuts

Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed $300 million budget cut to the University of Wisconsin System is slated to be voted on by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee.

The UW cut up for a vote Friday is one of the most controversial pieces of Walker’s two-year state spending plan.

Republicans who control the budget-writing committee have already said they won’t go along with Walker’s plan to give UW more independence from state laws and oversight.

That independence was designed to help UW deal with the budget cut.

There’s been a bipartisan push to reduce the $300 million reduction, but it’s unclear how much of the money will be restored.

Walker’s budget also calls for continuing a tuition freeze for two years, making it harder for UW to plug a cut.