Although state auditors recently announced a $650 million surplus within the UW System, Governor Scott Walker says he won’t reduce his state budget’s funding request for the system. Walker says his budget emphasis on UW funding involves economic development which he calls “imperative.”
The surplus information has some Republicans angered that UW officials had been asking to raise tuition. Representative Steve Nass, who chairs the Assembly’s colleges and universities panel, is calling for the firing of System President Kevin Reilly.
Walker says he’s not looking to “scapegoat” anyone. “Some people they want to try to single somebody out: I’m going to try to spend my time figuring out the best way to manage this going forward, to keep tuition under control, and still keep the University of Wisconsin as one of the premier universities in the world.”
A system spokesman says the surplus is needed as a safety net.
AUDIO: Walker on his budget plans and UW-Madison’s presence in China (2:00)