(The Center Square) – No committee vote was taken Thursday as two of the 10 University of Wisconsin System Regents appeared before the committee for confirmation of their nominations to the board in the days following the board’s decision to fire UW President Jay Rothman.
The Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges chose not to vote on the nominations on Thursday with Sen. Rob Hutton, R–Brookfield, saying the committee will evaluate the testimony from Regents Amy Bogost Blumenfeld and Tim Nixon on Tuesday and seek more information from the UW System before taking further action.
“I was dismayed that they were unable to provide any documentation whatsoever – not so much as a meeting note – on the performance reviews that they repeatedly cited as leading to Rothman’s termination,” Hutton said in a statement. “Even the smallest of private businesses must keep extensive documentation on similar personnel matters. I was also disappointed that the remaining 8 nominees whose nominations were to be considered were not in attendance.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement as the committee began its work assuming a vote would be taken, saying the committee vote is “largely symbolic and will have no impact on the confirmation of Gov. Evers’ UW Board of Regents appointees.”
“If Republicans are going to use this as a pretext to justify firing people just because they were appointed by a Democratic governor, that would be a mistake,” Evers said in a statement. “It would also seriously jeopardize our continued bipartisan work this session on behalf of the people of our state.
“It’s pretty simple: I trust that the Regents are doing what is best for students, faculty, staff, and our UW System—lawmakers should, too.”
Meanwhile, the committee felt many of its questions on the firing remained unanswered.
“In all my years in the legislature, I have only known the Board of Regents to be guardians of the status quo, so I have my doubts that the Regents have been stonewalled in a desire to make significant reforms,” Hutton said. “I look forward to receiving specifics about the comprehensive reforms they sought that President Rothman allegedly held back.”
