Republicans say Governor Walker's UW autonomy proposal is "on life support"

MADISON (WITI/AP) — The Republican co-chairman of the Legislature's Budget Committee says Governor Scott Walker's plan to detach the University of Wisconsin System from state oversight in exchange for cuts appears to be on life support. Joint Finance Committee co-chair Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) says that he's not convinced system regents will use the new autonomy to make major changes. In his budget plan, Walker had proposed giving the University of Wisconsin System more authority in exchange for $300 million in cuts. "If they were able to get out from underneath the thumb of statue bureaucracy, they could be very effective in saving money for the UW System," Governor Walker said on February 4th. "Don't think it's officially dead, but I think it has taken some disastrous blows over the last couple of weeks," Rep. Nygren said. Rep. Nygren says he's not convinced the Legislature should give up its power to the UW regents, and all but pronounced the plan dead. "I see it as being on life support," Rep. Nygren said. Mike Mikalsen, chief of staff to state Sen. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), says Walker's proposal is in "great jeopardy." He says Nass is giving UW and Walker "one last chance to make the case." The comments echo Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), who said last week that autonomy doesn't make sense because regents don't want to make changes and they could use their new authority to dramatically increase tuition. Rep. Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) says he wants Republicans to scrap the idea of cuts to the UW System altogether -- especially if the universities get nothing in exchange. "The Governor didn't run on these things, you know? It's not like he said, 're-elect me, and I'll take $300 million out of the University System,'" Rep. Barca said. "People have concerns about the level of the cuts. The way I've always viewed it, I had viewed it as a package, but that's does not necessarily mean it's exclusive to the authority.  We could give them more ability to make decisions on their own outside of an authority," Rep. Nygren said. Walker's plan would give the UW regents full authority to set tuition after a two-year tuition freeze. Rep. Vos says he supports giving the UW System more authority, but only if it's used to create efficiency. "The frustration that I have is if the discussion, before it even passes the Legislature, is protecting the status quo, which is the message the regents sent, then why are we going through the consternation in the Legislature of giving away our authority to a UW authority which would be independent?" Rep. Vos said. Key lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say this all may be headed toward a compromise, meaning smaller cuts and less autonomy for the UW System. A spokesman says UW officials appreciate the discussions about granting them autonomy.