MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The co-chair of the Legislature’s budget committee and another Republican member of the panel say they want to lower a proposed cut to the University of Wisconsin System while doing away with Gov. Scott Walker’s plans to grant it more independence. Joint Finance Committee co-chair Rep. John Nygren and Rep. Dean Knudson said in a statement Wednesday that they do not believe university administrators are ready for the level of independence Walker proposed in his budget. Nygren had told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the public authority proposal was on “life support” in the Legislature. Nygren and Knudson say they support continuing a tuition freeze for two years as Walker proposed and they also want UW to spend down surpluses to help deal with a budget cut.
