MADISON, Wisconsin (May 24, 2021) — This Monday, the Wisconsin Alumni Association will publish an open letter to Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin State Legislature. That letter, including the names of the 853 UW–Madison alumni who signed it, will be printed in the Monday edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin State Journal, Green Bay Press Gazette, Wausau Daily Herald, and Eau Claire Leader Telegram. The space was purchased by the Wisconsin Alumni Association.
The letter emphasizes the value of UW–Madison to Wisconsin. The petition reads, in part, “For every taxpayer dollar the state invests in UW–Madison, the university generates $26 for the state economy, a $30 billion annual impact on the state.”
As the debate over the 2021–23 Wisconsin state budget continues, the petition urges Governor Evers and state lawmakers to provide increased state support to continue the university’s status as a world-class institution. It also calls for new financial tools to allow the university the flexibility to invest and borrow funds for short-term financial needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the approval of critical building projects, including a new College of Engineering building and a new College of Letters & Science academic building.
“This is a crucial budget for the university, and state support is more important than ever before,” said Mike Fahey, managing director of state and university relations with the Wisconsin Alumni Association. “Our alumni want their voices heard. They are doing that with this letter and through direct outreach to their state legislators.”
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Contact: Tod Pritchard, tod.pritchard@supportuw.org, 608-609-5217, @WisAlumni
