SO love is in the air
BE MINE
Or...in the paper. See your V-day shout-outs and 2nd Chances. PAGE 6
THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969 Thursday, February 14, 2013
www.badgerherald.com
Volume XLIV, Issue 77
Walker to partially expand health care Governor denies full Medicaid expansion, plans for insuring slightly less people Polo Rocha Senior Legislative Editor Gov. Scott Walker proposed a plan Wednesday that would deny a full Medicaid expansion but find a way to reduce the uninsured by a slightly smaller number. At a Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce convention, Walker said he would reduce the number of uninsured in
the state by 224,580. That is about 28,000 less than the 252,678 who would have been covered had he taken the full expansion. Walker said his proposal is meant to help those who are “truly poor” and reduce dependence on the government among the less poor. “Some will portray this as not caring about people,” Walker said. “I think it’s just the opposite. I care too much about the people of this state not to empower them to control their own destiny.” The state’s Medicaid program for childless adults under 200 percent of the federal poverty line currently
has about 20,000 enrollees but a waitlist of about 150,000 because of a 2009 enrollment cap. Walker’s plan would remove that cap for the poorest, allowing more people in Medicaid. It would then move higher-income parents in the Medicaid program onto private insurance exchanges. The insurance exchanges — online marketplaces where uninsured individuals and small businesses can purchase insurance — are supposed to begin in 2014. The federal government gives some subsidies for those
Walker’s proposed changes
Governor’s Plan
200,000 100,000 0
ACA Mandate
Changes in uninsured
Changes in Medicaid
Change in private market and exchange
Courtesy of Scott Walker
WALKER, page 3
Justice leaves Prosser ethics case Alice Coyne State Politics Editor A Supreme Court justice recused herself Wednesday from an ethics case involving another judge who placed his hands around her neck during a June 2011 incident. Along with her recusal report, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley released a notice saying she had requested increased law enforcement security weeks before the altercation with Justice David Prosser. Bradley said in the letter she and Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson still feel threatened in the office because of Prosser’s behavior.
With Bradley recused from the case, the only two justices who have not recused themselves from the case are Abrahamson and Justice N. Patrick Crooks. Common Cause in Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck said this instance is another demonstration of how divided the Supreme Court has become, both ideologically and personally. “This is largely a huge distraction from what the court should be doing, which is considering cases impartially in a way that gives people confidence they are acting in the interest of citizens,” Heck
said. Since only the Supreme Court itself is able to discipline its justices, most members’ decisions to recuse themselves from the altercation case have prevented any sort of solution from being reached, he said. Heck said it is time to move away from inside conflict and reestablish a public perception that the court can still work together. Heck speculated this incident may affect public perception of Justice Patience Roggensack, the Supreme Court judge currently running for reelection. He said this may suggest she is part of the divide on the court.
Nate Schwantes, campaign manager for Marquette University Law School professor Ed Fallone, one of Roggensack’s challengers for Supreme Court, said a statement Wednesday Roggensack has been wrong to dismiss allegations that the court’s enviroment is dominated by “fear, intimidation and violence.” Schwantes said this reflects Roggensack’s lack of empathy for concerned justices, claiming she ignored Bradley’s feelings of threat in the court. “In repeated public appearances, Justice
PROSSER, page 2
April Wang The Badger Herald
ASM passed a new constitution for referendum. Finance Committee Chair Andrew Kidd voted in favor.
ASM constitution up for referendum Noah Goetzel Higher Education Editor After much deliberation from University of Wisconsin’s student government, causing representatives to laugh, quarrel and storm out screaming, the Associated Students of Madison passed its new constitution referendum Wednesday by an 83 percent majority. The new ASM Constitution: A Sound Structure for Subsequent Sessions passed 20-4, with one abstinence at a ASM Student Council meeting. The entire student
body will vote on the 15-page document March 11-13 during the ASM Spring Election Ballot. If passed, the new constitution will go into effect May 1. ASM Nominations Board Chair Sean McNally proposed the new constitution a week ago to the tune of mixed reactions from students who passed various amendments to its legislation. While the constitution is quite similar to the current one ASM uses, McNally said Feb. 6 this newly
CONSTITUTION, page 3
Sax Man Electronic group Big Gigantic’s saxophone player wails away during the show from over the weekend. Andy Fate The Badger Herald
UW to offer LGBTQ housing INSIDE Tegan Vail Herald Contributor University of Wisconsin’s housing division is adding a new coed learning community that will be open to students interested in gender issues and sexuality in the upcoming fall semester. The University Housing Division created the Open House: Gender Learning Community to be open to all students, no matter their background or sexual orientation. The gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer
learning community will be based on the fourth floor of Phillips Hall, one of the Lakeshore Residence Halls, according to Magpie Martinez, Diversity Programs for UW Housing director. The Gender and Women’s Studies Department is sponsoring the Open House, Martinez added. As a part of the community, UW Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies Julie D’Acci will be teaching a one-credit, weekly seminar, she said. Martinez said this learning community,
along with other learning communities, is possible because of grants from the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates. MIU gave UW the grants because learning communities prove to be beneficial to many UW students, she said. “I think that very focused learning communities give students the opportunity to deeply engage in subject matter,” Martinez said. “I think it’s awesome.” According to Paul Evans, UW Housing director, the movement for the Open House was in progress for a few
years. He said housing members tried to figure out the best ways to approach the community and they focused on finding the right location for it. Evans added the idea originated from a group of students that mostly lived in Witte Hall a few years ago. He said they desired a community that could talk about gender issues and a variety of other things. Open House welcomes all students to participate in learning about gender, power, perception, the history and current
HOUSING, page 4
© 2013 BADGER HERALD
UW student, artist gains internet acclaim Junior Claire Huber’s artwork featured on Reddit, her fascination with imperfect faces
ARTS | 9 soldierfield.net PETA could find a better animal rights activst Madtown to Chi-town: than Cromwell UW heads to Windy city Hayes Cascia: why not enlist Sarah Mclachlan as an advocate for Double Trouble?
Badgers prepare for first outdoor hockey game since 2010 in Camp Randall.
OPINION | 5
SPORTS | 12