Legislative Updates
Submitted by Bob Feidler, WAS vice president
Wisconsin Assembly Passes Three Bills Relating to Higher Education
On Nov 7 the Assembly adopted three bills of importance to higher education:
AB 370 provides that Wisconsin students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class are guaranteed admission to a UW System or technical college school. Students in the top 5% are guaranteed admission to UW-Madison.
AB 553 Relates to: free speech and academic freedom at University of Wisconsin System institutions and technical colleges, due process in disciplinary proceedings at University of Wisconsin System institutions and technical colleges, and causes of action against the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and technical college district boards.
AB553 was the subject of four hearings around the state last spring of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities. John Sailer of the National Association of Scholars testified at the final hearing on May 11, 2023 with a focus on both free speech and the negative aspects of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies. A Wisconsin Association of Scholars symposium including Sailer, Chairman David Murphy of the Colleges and Universities Committee, and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson to be held the following day on the Medical College of Wisconsin campus was de-platformed by MCW President John Raymond due to a petition of protest from faculty and students. The program was held on schedule at another location and can be viewed here.
The bill was considered and adopted at Committee in late October and passed by a 62-36 vote on the floor. It will next be considered by the Wisconsin State Senate, perhaps early next year. It is anticipated that Governor Evers will veto the bill as being too invasive of duties better handled within the UW System and by its Board of Regents.
See http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2023/proposals/ab553 for full text, history, and amendments to the bill. The disciplinary sections of the bill were amended from the original text.
AB 554 follows the standards set by a recent U.S Supreme Court case that forbade race based standards of admission to universities. This bill essentially precludes race as a consideration for admission to the UW System and technical schools. Assistance can be needs-based but cannot consider characteristics such as ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual preference or religion.
Chairman Murphy of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities commented:
We don't want to advantage people just because of their skin color. It used to be considered the gold standard of our society (to) live in a colorblind society. Somehow in the very recent past, this has not become our goal anymore — and I think it should be.
All three bills will be considered by the Wisconsin State Senate in the intermediate future. See https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2023 for full text, explanations and histories of the above bills.
