BIRD IS THE WORD
Events you’ll gobble up
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Find out what’s stuffing November in this month’s arts calendar . +ARTS, page 5 University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Reps. debate minority status Race may not be factor in college grant program By Samy Moskol The Daily Cardinal
A nonpartisan bill concerning a college grant program divided state Assembly members late Tuesday evening after an amendment introduced would eliminate minority status as a criteria for receiving the grant. The Joint Legislative Council, which provides nonpartisan research and advice for legislative committees, assisted in developing the bill. The talent incentive grant program currently awards up to $1,800 for students attending Wisconsin’s public universities. In order to qualify for the grant, students must be of a lower socioeconomic status and meet one other disadvantaged criteria. This could include having a disability or being black, American Indian, Latino of Hmong. The bill initially aimed to allow students to apply for the grant without having to be enrolled
in consecutive semesters, as the program currently requires. But state Rep. Peggy Krusick, D-Milwaukee, introduced an amendment which would eliminate race as a factor in receiving the grant. State Rep. Dean Knudson, RHudson, said the amendment was a step in the right direction for Wisconsin public universities. “Discriminating on the basis of skin color just to try to get diversity, you’re making a mistake in doing so,” Knudson said. State Rep. Joan Ballweg, R-Markeson, also spoke for the amendment. “What we’re doing with this amendment is making the talent incentive grant colorblind,” Ballweg said. But state Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, said while no one questions programs that award grants to student athletes or underrepresented Wisconsin localities, they find faults in programs based on minority status. “You are making it plain as day that your priority is to get the minorities out of the system,” Grigsby said. “You cannot put lipstick on a pig.” The Assembly went into recess to hold partisan caucus, and the amendment was tabled.
Senator plans to block ‘ObamaCare’ in Wis. State Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere, said Tuesday he would stop further passage of a bill that would make state law comply with the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The bill, AB 210, passed with 57 votes in the state Assembly in October. It would make the Affordable Care Act, which would require people over the age of 18 to apply for public or private health care, comply with state law. But Lasee, chair of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Housing, said he would let the bill die in committee. “If Wisconsin opens the door to ObamaCare, there will be no closing it,” Lasee said in a statement. “A line must be drawn in order to protect Wisconsin’s residents and industry against federal intrusion. I am drawing it.” According to Lasee, the bill would not allow state citizens to make their own health-care choices.
“I am convinced that this bill poses a serious threat to Wisconsin’s sovereignty under the 10th Amendment and to the healthcare freedoms of our citizens,” Sen. Lasee said in a statement. Lasee cited analysis from three conservative think tanks for his interpretation of the bill. “AB 210 would also make the state complicit in sabotaging much of Wisconsin’s insurance industry,” he continued. “I cannot in good conscience advance this bill another inch.” But state Rep. Brett Hulsey, D-Madison, criticized Lasee’s decision to not discuss the bill further. “As Gov. Walker and the GOP are slashing $500 million from health care for struggling families and disabled citizens, it is sad that Sen. Lasee wants to cut off Wisconsin from increasing health care for more of our families,” Hulsey said in an e-mail. —Alex DiTullio
downtown
Iron Curtain opens for Cold War Kids
Long Beach, Cali., natives Cold War Kids performed to a packed house at the Majestic Theatre Tuesday night. + Photo by Mark Kauzlarich
Union changes influenced by student vote By Shannon Kelly The Daily Cardinal
The Memorial Union Reinvestment Project Design Committee met Tuesday to discuss changes to the proposed renovations in wake of the recent Associated Students of Madison referendum and budget cuts facing the university. The proposed addition to the Play Circle lobby, one of the project’s major components and the source of recent controversy, was recently rejected by student voters, with 50.24 percent of voters saying they did not support the addition’s design. According to Union President Katie Fischer, the design committee has “taken the results of the ASM referendum to heart” and their architects are drafting new plans, which should be complete for consideration within 30 days.
The committee also discussed changes that must be made to renovation plans to accommodate recent budget cuts to the university. One proposed accommodation involved stripping the Play Circle of lighting, heating and ventilation, which would render the area unusable during construction. Committee members said if they were to shut down the Play Circle, it would not return to use until a donor could be secured to fund its renovation. Union President Appointed Student John Skic said this would be unfair to student organizations that use the venue. Another proposal to help offset the budget cuts would affect Hoofers, an outdoor recreation organization. This plan would reduce the size of the organization’s space and elimi-
nate the elevator currently in their plans to help transport Hoofers’ equipment. UW-Madison history Professor John Sharpless said he disagreed with the cuts to Hoofers. “It just seems to me that we’re being mean to Hoofers,” Sharpless said. “But maybe we have to be mean for budget purposes. We may just say, ‘You guys have to cough up some space to save some money.’ But I remain unconvinced that it’s a necessity.” Memorial Union Reinvestment Student Manager Colin Plunkett responded by saying many areas would need to make accommodations to help absorb the proposed budget cuts. “I don’t think in my eyes this is aimed towards being mean to Hoofers,” he said. “I think this goes back to some of the criteria saying that we need to spread this pain out through everyone.”
Kyriaki Chatzikyriakdou/the daily cardinal
The Memorial Union Reinvestment Project Design Committee discussed ways to deal with recent budget cuts and a student vote against the proposed Union theater addition.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”