by Erik Gunn, Wisconsin Examiner
January 11, 2025
A plan to redirect $70 million in Universities of Wisconsin system funds that includes $29 million for the UW-Madison’s new engineering building moved forward Friday, three weeks after Republicans on the State Building Commission blocked the measure the week before Christmas.
The money comes from a series of projects at the UW-Eau Claire that came in under budget.
On Dec. 19, the commission, with membership consisting of four Republican lawmakers and four Democrats — Gov. Tony Evers, two lawmakers and a citizen appointed by the Evers administration — deadlocked on approving the transfer, which put it on hold.
The commission met again Friday and approved reallocating the money.
“While it’s unfortunate that these reallocations to help support UW campuses across our state were unnecessarily delayed, I’m glad they were finally approved today to ensure these critical projects can move forward,” Evers said in a statement Friday.
The $29 million directed to the planned new UW-Madison engineering building will help expand enrollment and infrastructure for the school, enabling it to increase enrollment, according to the university. The $197 million project had earlier been stalled in a pitched partisan battle that was supposed to have been resolved in early 2024.
Redirected funds will also go to projects at UW-Whitewater ($10.5 million), UW-Stout ($5.4 million) and assorted university repair and maintenance projects ($25 million).
In December, Sen. Andre Jacque (R-DePere) and Rep. Robert Wittke (R-Racine) said they had voted against the transfer because they hadn’t been consulted about it. Jacque questioned why the original estimate for the Eau Claire projects had exceeded the costs based on the final bids.
Neither responded to an inquiry Friday about their decision to change their votes.
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