Press Release: Gov. Evers Delivers Radio Address Highlighting Plan to Propose Largest Biennial Increase in State Funding for the UW System in State History

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 09/19/2024 11:17 AM CDT
Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 19, 2024
Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov 
 
Gov. Evers Delivers Radio Address Highlighting Plan to Propose Largest Biennial Increase in State Funding for the UW System in State History
 
Audio File of Radio Address.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address highlighting plan to propose the largest biennial increase in state funding for the University of Wisconsin (UW) System in his 2025-27 budget. The governor’s address comes as this week, Gov. Evers continued his annual statewide back-to-school tour with visits to UW campuses across the state, including UW-La Crosse, UW-Superior, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Green Bay, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Madison, and UW-Whitewater, among others.

Gov. Evers earlier this year delivered remarks to the UW System Board of Regents to announce his 2025-27 executive budget will propose an increase of over $800 million for UW System—the largest biennial increase in state funding for the UW System in state history—aimed at preventing further staff and faculty layoffs, campus closures, and program cuts and consolidations. Gov. Evers, a former Regent, urged the Board to join him in supporting significant increases for the UW System by approving an agency budget request consistent with the governor’s proposed investment.

Last month, the Board of Regents answered the governor’s call, approving an agency budget request that met the governor’s request to make robust, ongoing state investments in the UW System. The governor has committed to meeting or exceeding the budget request approved by the Board of Regents.

The governor’s call for substantial state investments in the UW System comes as five UW branch campuses announced closures and several UW campuses have been forced to furlough and lay off employees, shift funding or make cuts, and restructure portions of campus operations, which the governor argued in his remarks is largely due to Republican lawmakers’ actions and inaction over the last decade, as highlighted in reporting by PolitiFact Wisconsin. According to the State Higher Education Finance Report, which is released by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, Wisconsin ranked 42nd for public funding for four-year colleges based on 2022 data. A report released in April 2023 by the Wisconsin Policy Forum found that the UW System ranked 43rd nationally for per-student funding in 2021.

Hey there, folks. Governor Tony Evers here.   

  

Our UW System and our UW campuses are among the most valuable assets we have in Wisconsin.   

  

UW is central to our state’s economy, it’s an essential part of our promise of public education, and it plays a critical role in helping our state recruit, train, and retain talented workers for Wisconsin’s workforce.  

  

However, despite our best efforts, for more than a decade now, we’ve watched a war being waged on public higher education in Wisconsin, the devastating effects of which include campus closures, staff and faculty layoffs, and program cuts and consolidation.


Folks, we are at a critical juncture in our UW System’s history. 

It’s time we address the challenges facing our UW System and make the investments necessary to right a decade worth of wrongs.

And if we want to build a strong workforce and economy prepared to meet the needs of the 21st Century, investing in higher education must be a top priority. 

    

That’s why in my next budget, I will propose the largest biennial budget increase in our UW System’s state history.

I am glad that the System and the UW Board of Regents have joined me in supporting this significant and needed increase.  

  

Wisconsinites deserve a UW System that is fully funded, fully functioning, and that meets the needs of our students, our workforce, and our local communities.   

  

I can trace the path of my success back to the high-quality public education I received at the University of Wisconsin System, like many others in our state, including our legislators.  

   

So, I look forward to the opportunities ahead to work together and make this budget one that reflects our state’s proud tradition of public education.

    

Thank you.
 
An online version of this release is available here.
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