Governor says he might fast-track ‘public authority’


The state AP is reporting that Gov. Scott Walker is open to giving the University of Wisconsin System more freedom sooner than he originally proposed to help it deal with a $300 million budget cut, his spokeswoman said Wednesday, opening another potential avenue for negotiations over the plan that’s drawn bipartisan opposition. Under Walker’s proposal, the university would become a public authority detached from state oversight and laws starting in July 2016. Republicans who control the Legislature have questioned whether the governor’s proposed cuts are too large, while university leaders and Democrats have said it could cause layoffs and academic program cuts. See news coverage.