Senate Approves Conference Report

Last night, the Senate approved the budget conference report by a 17-15 vote. Sen. Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa) voted with Republicans in opposition. The Assembly is expected to begin consideration of the report this evening. A conference report cannot be amended by either house and can only receive an “up or down” vote. Once approved by both houses, the bill will be forwarded to the Governor for his review and possible vetoes.

Conference Budget Changes
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau has released a summary (129 pages) of the Assembly, Senate, and Conference Committee changes to the Joint Committee on Finance version of the budget. The following conference recommendations are of particular interest to the UW System:

• Sale of University of Wisconsin System Properties (p. 2)
• UW-Madison School of Nursing Building Project (p. 2)
• UW-Stevens Point: Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (p. 12)
• UW-Stevens Point: Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program (p. 13)
• UW System and WTCS – Require Veterans to use Federal Education Benefits Before State Tuition and Fees Remissions (pp. 13-14)
• Income from Normal School Fund for Environmental Programs (p. 14)
• Nonresident Tuition Exemptions for Certain Undocumented Persons (pp. 14-15)
• Conflict of Interest for UW System Employees (p. 15)
• Use of Private Contractors During a Hiring Freeze (pp. 17-18)
• Treatment of Earnings Affected by State Employee Unpaid Leave for Retirement System Purposes (p. 26)
• Collective Bargaining Rights for UW System Research Assistants (pp. 35-37)
• Individual Income Tax Deduction for College Savings Account Contributions (pp. 81-82)
• Modifications to Prevailing Wage Provisions (pp. 98-100, section b)