2011.10.04

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THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE CE E1 1969 969 Tuesday, October 4, 2011

www.badgerherald.com

Volume V Volu Vo ollu ume me X XLIII, LI Issue 21 LI

SPORTS | GRADES

NEWS | SAFETY

ARTS

Badgers shine against toughest opponent

A recently released report shows the figures behind domestic violence-related deaths throughout the state this year. | 2

Imelda May drops by

Quarterback Russell Wilson and Montee Ball fuel Wisconsin’s offense in 48-17 drubbing of Nebraska | 8

| CONCERT PREVIEW

Rockabilly, blues, country, jazz, pop-punk, traditional Irish hybrid hit the Majestic tonight | 6

Fac Senate denies employee firearms Resolution approved to limit UW staff in concealed carry Adelaide Blanchard News Editor The University of Wisconsin Faculty Senate voted unanimously to forbid any university employee to carry a concealed weapon without explicit permission at Monday’s meeting, members of the senate confirmed. The recommendation passed unanimously through the Faculty Senate with two amendments related to law enforcement on campus, University Committee Chair Brad Barham said. One amendment clarified that officers

of the UW Police Department have the right to carry their firearms while they are on duty, and the other amendment said UWPD’s chief would be one of the designees to decide who would be able to carry a concealed weapon, Barham said. The amendments were minor, Provost Paul DeLuca said in an interview with The Badger Herald, and did not change the spirit of the motion on concealed carry on campus. “We do not allow [concealed carry] in our buildings period. [The motion] dealt with employees,” DeLuca said. People will be able to apply for permits to carry concealed weapons starting Nov. 1. According to the recommendation from the Faculty Senate, the university had

previously requested to the Legislature that the UW campus be granted an exemption from concealed carry, but it was not granted. However, the university can take action to keep weapons out of its buildings, including putting up signs on the doors, according to the recommendation. At the meeting, DeLuca said, Interim Chancellor David Ward expressed interest in adding another year onto his stay at UW as chancellor. Ward said that if offered, he would consider extending his time as chancellor at UW, DeLuca said. The UW System Board of Regents would ultimately make the decision on whether or not this would be possible. The matter is in the

Malory Goldin The Badger Herald

Interim Chancellor David Ward told the Faculty Senate Monday it was still unclear how long his stay at UW would be after requests were made for extended time. hands of UW System President Kevin Reilly, Ward said in an email to The Badger Herald. “I was very pleased to hear Chancellor Ward express willingness to stay for another year if the Board of Regents deems it appropriate, and it was especially notable that his statement

received a loud, sustained round of applause from the faculty,” sociology professor and Faculty Senate member Sara Goldrick-Rab said in an email to The Badger Herald. Another point of discussion during the meeting surrounded making student IDs viable

as voter IDs following the passing of the Voter ID bill into law, DeLuca said. DeLuca said estimates for the cost of creating valid voter IDs varied and the university does not yet know how much it would definitely cost to manufacture IDs.

FAC SENATE, page 3

Bill could remove legal liability for drug industry GOP law would prevent consumers from suing certain manufacturers Matt Huppert State Editor Legislation proposed in the governor’s special session on jobs that seeks to give health companies in the state immunity from consumer lawsuits is being condemned by critics who say it will do little to create jobs and will weaken oversight, though others believe it gives certainty to Wisconsin job creators. A bill co-authored by

Rep. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, and Sen. Rich Zipperer, R-Pewaukee, would grant drug companies and medical device manufacturers in the state immunity from lawsuits under certain circumstances, according to a statement from Gov. Scott Walker’s office. The bill is one of four legislative proposals in the special session on jobs, which last week commenced in the state Legislature, that deals with litigation certainty, the statement said. Citizen Action of Wisconsin Executive Director Robert Kraig said there would be consumer health hazards if producers

of products which could cause serious injury or death are granted legal immunity. “If a drug or medical device produced [by a company] kills people, there would be liabilities,” Kraig said. “[However] if you have a bill that makes them immune [to lawsuit], it makes them more likely to be negligent.” Kraig said it is “unconscionable” to include this immunity measure and the other litigation certainty measures into the special session on jobs, saying these bills would do little to create employment in the state. He said the governor is more concerned with serving a special interest agenda than

he is in relieving the middle class of the pressures they face from the job crisis. University of Wisconsin political science professor Donald Downs said in general the argument can be made that tort reform like this can relieve businesses of the anxiety of facing unwanted lawsuits. This can give businesses more perceived freedom when making both operation and production decisions, he said, since they will not be concerned about being sued over their products. Still, Walker’s statement argues the legislation introduced in the special session will give job creators in the state the

confidence they need to hire more middle class employees. Bills backed by both Democrats and Republicans are included in the special session, the statement said, in order to keep party politics aside for the purposes of creating jobs. Jay Heck of Common Cause Wisconsin said from a non-partisan standpoint, the litigation certainty bills in the special session are inherently political. He said there is no hard evidence that “frivolous lawsuits” are numerous or a financial drain on businesses or the state. He said this is an attempt by the right to weaken the political power of

trial lawyers, who tend to support Democratic candidates, by limiting the number of cases they can call against corporations. He said these bill will most likely see little opposition in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Kraig said the inclusion of these bills in the special session may be motivated by the governor’s desire to pay back corporate campaign contributors by granting them immunity from consumer lawsuits. He said the passage of the bill could greatly weaken consumers’ ability to hold businesses accountable for their actions.

DRUG, page 3

Williams: forum to host “robust” agenda Jackie Allen News Reporter The University of Wisconsin is preparing a Diversity Forum Thursday featuring keynote speakers and presentations from student organizations across campus just weeks after the campus reacted to reports alleging the university discriminates against Caucasian and Asian applicants. UW Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate Damon Williams said Tom Zionowski The Badger Herald the forum will run Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Vice Provost for Diversity Damon Williams laid out plans for the upcoming diversity forum will focus on bringing Monday. He said it will feature the most diverse set of topics discussed so far this year. together national and

local perspectives through several speeches and sessions by both students and professors. Williams said this year’s forum had a “robust agenda” in terms of a diverse range of topics including educational crises facing male youth of color, as well as LGBTQ, immigration and campus climate issues. “This is the most diverse group of topics we’ve addressed in this year’s forum,” Williams said. “What we’re trying to do is create a space for constituents to see themselves as a part of the diversity forum and of

course to have the work that’s happening campuswide to be championed.” Williams added registration for this year’s forum has increased slightly from previous years. He believes this is a result of increased advertising efforts rather than the recent controversy triggered by the Center for Equal Opportunity’s reports on diversity that targeted UW. CEO is a conservative think-tank that fights against affirmative action and bilingual education. The Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Chair Hannah Somers said in an email to

The Badger Herald that the CEO report was an example of why the forum could prove beneficial to students. “In light of the CEO report, it is imperative that students have the opportunity to be educated about diversity and campus climate,” she said. “The upcoming diversity forum is a great example of diversity efforts on campus.” However, Williams added a University of Michigan research group that has worked with CEO will present at Thursday’s forum and may present

WILLIAMS, page 2

Leg Affairs moves to create landlord-ASM contracts While the proposal is still in the works, the contract would protect students Jane Milne News Reporter Members of the University of Wisconsin’s student government heard additional testimony Monday on a Senate bill that would effectively prohibit landlord restrictions on the local level.

If passed, Senate Bill 107 would prohibit most restrictions on landlords except those at the state level. The discussion of SB 107 was a follow-up to last week’s Legislative Affairs presentation on the issue. There was a general consensus among members that after the bill likely passes Madison landlords should be held to sign an agreement to keep current local laws, which would be nullified by the legislation, in place — an issue Legislative Affairs members said was of

great importance to students. This agreement will provide a sense of security for current and future tenants, the committee said. “In general, [landlords] have been saying they will continue to observe these [laws] because if not, they will lose business,” Rep. Mudit Kacker said. “But we are trying to get something concrete.” Legislative Affairs Chair Hannah Somers gained members’ perspectives on whether or not landlords should be allowed to add

their own amendments to this standard agreement that will be created. Other discussion of SB 107 included how attendees of the upcoming Housing Fair on Nov. 17 will provide education about this issue, along with raising awareness in general among students on campus. Ideas such as short workshops during the Housing Fair to inform students of their rights and passing out fliers on Library Mall were considered. If these agreements are

© 2011 BADGER HERALD

signed, the Legislative Affairs committee is hoping to create an accountability plan so that landlords will be forced to uphold their promises. Two ideas proposed for this accountability plan were a student committee and a survey. Somers suggested creating a committee with two or three people representing each landlord who would be able to meet with the Associated Students of Madison twice a year and talk about their living

experience. However, the committee recognized that problems could potentially arise from both of these plans as two people is a small sampling and could be hit-or-miss. “[The] problem with getting ratings from students is [that] a lot of them don’t know what their rights are,” Kacker said. Somers also said she is meeting with City Alcohol Policy Coordinator Mark Woulf later this week.

LEG AFFAIRS, page 3


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