THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER R SINC SINCE CE 1 1969 969 SPORTS
Vo olu lum mee XLIII, XLI LIII, Issue I Volume 61
Friday, December 2, 2011
www.badgerherald.com
NEWS
FOOTBALL
There’s always a bigger fish
| CAMPUS LIFE
A new student group wants to ensure you’re prepared for the new voting laws whether you’re a liberal or a conservative. | 2
Big Ten has struck gold like never before this season. With upsets aplenty, the conference scored big in 2011. | 7
ARTS
| COLUMN
V for Bethesda ‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ boasts strong visuals, and is shaping up to be the game to buy this season. |
6
Protests may require more permits Open carry no longer OK in government buildings, concealed weapons permitted Adrianna Viswanatha State Reporter Two new policy changes announced earlier this week by Gov. Scott Walker’s administration would restrict open carry as well as gatherings and other events
on Capitol grounds. The decision made Wednesday would prohibit the open carry of weapons in the Capitol and other state buildings, Mike Mikalsen, spokesperson for Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, said. The Walker administration also announced Thursday citizens wishing to hold an event or rally inside the Capitol or on its grounds will be required to register for additional permits than
currently required under the law. A Department of Administration statement said citizens seeking a permit may also be charged for damage, repair, equipment set-up, cleanup or any excess security costs. Any event where more than 100 people can be expected to be in attendance, or when loud speakers are used would need to have a permit under the new policy, according to the statement.
Just for kicks A member of Madison Choi gives a jump kick move his all during the Tae Kwon Do group’s weekly practice at the Student Activity Center on Thursday. Matt Hintz The Badger Herald
Under these stipulations, the spring’s collective bargaining legislation protests would have required a permit. However, the new stipulations do give some leeway for some events because exceptions can be made for “spontaneous events,” according to the statement. Another policy change, regarding open carry in the Capitol and in state buildings, debuted this week.
Mikalsen said the administration was concerned with potential disruption caused by firearms being in plain sight in state buildings. He added the decision was part of the process in preparing for the implementation of the concealed carry law. “It is clear that they had to make that decision as part of the concealed carry process in public spaces and work spaces in public buildings,” Mikalsen said. He said not all legislative
members are in favor of the governor’s decision. According to Mikalsen, Rep. Nass has heard citizens are unhappy about the decision because they believe they have the right to open carry based on the state constitution. “I think you’ll see some concerns raised by some folks in the public,” Mikalsen said. “The overall question is how many people who could get
PERMITS, page 3
Legal fees in collective bargaining suit unpaid Barca’s lawyer yet to receive money from state regarding case on bill’s passage Tori Thompson News Reporter The state has yet to pay a Wisconsin representative’s lawyer for his work on a lawsuit concerning the passage of the collective bargaining bill last spring. Bob Jambois, attorney for Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, has not yet been paid for his legal services for the case, Barca’s spokesperson Erik Greenfield said in an email to The Badger Herald. Jambois said he submitted his bill in June and has been waiting since then to receive his
payment. He added he never expected payment would be an issue. Because he works out of a “small mom and pop law office” with his wife, Jambois said he would most likely take legal action, or perhaps other measures, if the Assembly refuses to pay his bill. “[I would] sic my partner on them,” Jambois said. “Hell hath no fury like an unpaid legal partner.” Greenfield confirmed all other attorneys in the case, including those for Secretary of State Doug La Follette and Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller have already been paid. Greenfield said only the Assembly Republicans have refused to pay all the legal bills. Both Jambois and Greenfield explained
the Assembly is legally obligated to pay the legal bills. According to Jambois, if a state representative is being sued, he can seek representation from the attorney general. If the attorney general declines, he can seek private council. This is what Barca did in the collective bargaining suit. Michael Hintz, Wisconsin State Coordinator for Tea Party Patriots, said the Legislature’s inability to pay so far does not appear to be malicious or political. “[The Assembly’s lack of payment] does not seem sinister,” Hintz said. “It’s just a matter of timing.” It is the procedure of the Assembly that
GOP, page 3
Funding for sexual assault programs decreases Rape Crisis Center, other programs for survivors in state may be depleted Ally Boutelle City Editor A public grant program which provides funding and help to victims of sexual assault in Wisconsin is scheduled for a significant cut in 2012, posing a threat to its available services. According to a
statement from the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the funding for the Sexual Assault Victim Services program will be reduced by 42.5 percent from current levels. The cuts will create a drastic deficit in the state of Wisconsin, Pennie Meyers, WCASA interim executive director, said in a statement. “SAVS and the local sexual assault service providers it funds are directly responsible for helping victims and are instrumental in efforts
to hold perpetrators accountable,” she said. “There is no substitute for SAVS in Wisconsin.” According to the statement, SAVS is the only provider of funding for services that include advocacy and counseling services, 24/7 crisis telephone services, intervention and prevention education and services for at-risk or hard-to-reach victims statewide. WCASA spokesperson John Keckhaver said the cuts will affect service providers’ ability to
provide staff, counseling and crisis hotlines. Kelly Anderson, executive director of the Dane County Rape Crisis Center, said the cuts make it impossible for her agency and others to maintain their current level of services. “We’ll be working with our board and our funding community of donors to do everything we can, but the reality is that you can’t keep providing the same level with fewer people,” she said. “Given our budget, less money means fewer
people.” Keckhaver said the cuts could result in counseling staff layoffs and a decrease in crisis hotline availability. Anderson called the cuts a “huge blow” to the Rape Crisis Center and all providers of sexual assault services statewide. She added service providers had already shouldered a 10 percent cut before being hit with the latest round. Keckhaver said the SAVS program is funded with a surcharge or money paid by people
who are convicted of crimes, particularly felonies. He added, however, the money coming from surcharges has been going down, and it is an unreliable source of funding. Supporters of the budget cut, which, according to Anderson, originated in the governor ’s office, maintain that cuts to numerous state programs are necessary to keep the state’s economy on its
SEXUAL ASSAULT, page 3
MCSC loses suit against student gov’t Selby Rodriguez Campus Editor A Student Judiciary decision released Thursday upheld the denial of a multicultural student organization’s funding eligibility, dismissing charges against a branch of student government. In the complaint, the Multicultural Student Coalition contended the Student Services Finance Committee violated viewpoint neutrality by shifting the necessary criteria to be eligible for segregated fee funding. Additionally, MCSC questioned whether SSFC was a co-equal branch of student government and charged committee members with misconduct.
All three counts were dismissed by the student court. SSFC Chair Sarah Neibart stood behind her committee in an interview with The Badger Herald regarding the most recent SJ decision, stating she was confident of SSFC’s processes. “I think that our processes were defended, and the way in which we have gone about deciding what is direct service versus what isn’t for the past couple of years was even further affirmed,” Neibart said. “I was confident after the hearing that we would be ruled in favor of.” SJ denied MCSC’s first count in the decision, stating SSFC acted within its allowance of discretion when determining
eligibility and that Rep. Cale Plamann used a viewpoint neutral methodology when creating a spreadsheet used in deciding this eligibility. “The Panel finds that SSFC acted within the circumscribed allowance of discretion in evaluating MCSC’s eligibility request,” the decision said. “MCSC’s contention that Representative Plamann’s ‘pro-rating’ spreadsheet was capricious ignores the degree of discretion he and all members possess.” The second count stating MCSC’s application was not reviewed fully due to individual members’ biases was also dismissed in the decision. One reason was that MCSC was given time to discuss their organization
and direct services in an initial presentation and question-answer session and that several SSFC members accepted lobbying requests from the group. “Given this concerted effort by SSFC members to ascertain a thorough understanding of the organization, it is apparent each voting member felt they possessed sufficient information to make an informed determination,” the decision said. The court decision also affirmed SSFC’s autonomy, stating the body is equal to the Associated Students of Madison and not under it, dismissing MCSC’s third count. SJ itself acts as a check
MCSC, page 2
© 2011 BADGER HERALD
Matt Hintz The Badger Herald
SSFC Chair Sarah Neibart speaks during Thursday night’s committee meeting. All charges MCSC made against the committee she leads were dropped, which may be the final chapter in the semester-long struggle.