News 10.19.17
20 October 2017 News
A new report shows about $5.4 million in questionable transactions between University of Wisconsin System schools and their private foundations between 2010 and 2017. The system began reviewing transactions between schools and foundations in January after accusing former UW-Oshkosh officials of illegally transferring $11.3 million to the school’s foundation to cover construction projects. The system released a report detailing its findings Wednesday. According to the report, nearly $35.5 million moved from the universities to the foundations between mid-2010 and this past January. Transactions totaling $5.4 million required additional analysis, including $183,805 UW-La Crosse repaid to its foundation to cover renovations at its football stadium. Other issues included checks written incorrectly, scholarship withdrawals and accounting errors and foundation over-payments to universities that the schools sent back.
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The UW Fond du Lac Dairy and Livestock extension agent says she hopes the state doesn’t do away with America’s Dairyland on Wisconsin license plates. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce president, Kurt Bauer, floated the idea at a business luncheon this week. Extension agent Tina Coleman says the slogan reflects the importance dairy and agriculture are to Wisconsin’s economy and way of life. Coleman says agriculture is an $88 billion industry and of that $44 billion is from dairy. Bauer says a more contemporary phrase on the license plate could emphasize the state’s dynamic economy.
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The head of Wisconsin’s prison system is telling lawmakers that additional capacity is needed to deal with an aging and growing inmate population. Department of Corrections Secretary Jon Litscher tells a Senate committee Thursday that since he took over in March 2016 the inmate population has increased by 700, or 35 a month. Litscher says a number of options are being explored, including building a new prison, expanding earned release, better preparing offenders upon release so they don’t get sent back and constructing new housing within existing facilities to house older inmates. Democratic state Sen. Bob Wirch says prison officials should consider reforms that would result in fewer people being put behind bars to begin with. A new state task force is being formed to study needs of the Wisconsin prison system.
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Gov. Scott Walker says he plans to formally announce his re-election bid the week of Nov. 6. Walker’s plans to run for a third term have been well known, as he’s been raising money and taking steps to mount the campaign ever since he dropped out of the presidential race in the fall of 2015. Walker released a new online campaign video Wednesday that touts his record but says more needs to be done. He followed that up with a fundraising email where he said he will launch the campaign the week of Nov. 6. Eight Democrats have said they are running to take him on, while several others are considering getting it the race.
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