The Martin Center has been running a series of articles on higher ed reforms in the states. So far, they have been about the efforts in red states where conservatives hold power. Today, however, we focus on a “purple” state with divided governance: Wisconsin. The Badger State has a Democratic governor and a Republican legislature.
As Daniel Buck reports, Republicans have been able to make some changes, especially countering the Democrats’ “spend, spend, spend” agenda.
He writes, “Provisions in a budget passed in the Badger State this previous summer require that faculty at Wisconsin’s two flagship universities — UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee — now teach at least one course per semester and 12 credit hours each school year. At smaller universities, the requirements are higher. Choleric and incredulous, professors turned to the local paper to vent their outrage.”
Buck points to three strategies that Republicans have used in Wisconsin, the first being, “. . . purple states can leverage budget negotiations to play hardball. Wisconsin’s teaching-requirement bill passed because Republican State Assembly speaker Robin Vos demanded it before he and his caucus would approve an additional $256 million in funding for the University of Wisconsin. This latest fight is only his most recent win through such a strategy.”
Also, conservative legislators can make the leftists choose between ideological junk and personal things such as salaries and pensions. And there are usually opportunities for what Buck calls “boring, good governance” changes.
Read the whole thing.