The closure of UW branch campuses, including UW-Platteville’s Richland campus, UW-Milwaukee’s Washington County campuses and UW-Oshkosh’s Fond du Lac campuses, is leaving local communities facing potential economic crises. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner)
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is requests that the state budget committee appropriate $20 million intended to establish a grant program to support communities where a University of Wisconsin campus has closed.
The request is the third submitted to the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) by Gov. Tony Evers’ administration this week, bringing the total amount to be released to $45 million. The requests come as lawmakers and Evers have been at odds over releasing other state funding that was improved in the budget, including funds to combat PFAS contamination of local drinking water supplies, grants to support hospitals in western Wisconsin and a new literacy program in schools.
The closure of UW branch campuses, including UW-Platteville’s Richland campusUW-Milwaukee’s Washington County campus and UW-Oshkosh’s Fond du Lac campus, local communities have faced potential economic crises.
WEDC’s request would allow the agency to administer the grant program as directed by an enacted law by the House of Representatives in February and signed by Evers in March. Under the law, communities are eligible for a $2 million grant.
Evers said in a statement that a lack of “meaningful investments” in the UW System has caused the recent campus closures and staff layoffs, and that the state must work quickly to address the challenges to prevent additional layoffs and closures.
“This funding is critical in the meantime to help communities like Richland Center, Washington County, Fond du Lac and Marinette find new uses for infrastructure and existing buildings to support local communities and economies,” Evers said.
When Evers signed the bill, he used his partial veto to eliminate the requirement that local communities contribute 20% to receive the state funding, and language prohibiting communities from using the funding to redevelop facilities for academic purposes.
Evers also eliminated language requiring WEDC to get approval from the Joint Finance Committee before releasing funds and that the grants had to go to Richland County and then Fond du Lac County, Washington County and Marinette County before other communities could receive the aid received. He said in his veto message that these partial vetoes are intended to help prevent delays in the delivery of funds to communities.
“I look forward to the Joint Finance Committee releasing these funds without delay so we can get them into the hands of the people who need them and revitalize these campus sites as quickly as possible,” Evers said.
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