University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Spring Welcome Back Issue 2016
Welcome Back Spring 2016
BETSY OSTERBERGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
UW students, faculty react to campus carry bill Story by Elisa Wiseman
T
he national conversation on how to reduce gun violence has continued after more than 300 mass shootings in 2015, according to the Mass Shooting Tracker. In Madison, the debate has resulted in proposed legislation that would allow concealed weapons in university buildings. UW-Madison public affairs professor Donald Moynihan moved to Madison from Texas in 2005. He thought his move would be a step away from what he considered too lenient of gun laws in Texas. “I would see signs on libraries and coffee shops that said, ‘you can’t bring your gun here,’ and I thought it was a very Texas thing that seemed so odd to me at the time,” Moynihan said. “When I moved to Wisconsin, I sort of believed this would be a different kind of environment. But now we have those signs on our coffee shops and our libraries too.” According to a report by gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, Wisconsin is one of
six states to allow guns on campus grounds but prohibit guns in university buildings. Only two states—Utah and Colorado—actually allow concealed carry permit holders to bring their weapons in campus buildings. State Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum, and state Sen. Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, formally introduced a bill in early October to allow concealed carry permit holders to bring firearms into university buildings. The bill is an expansion of similar legislation passed in 2011. The bill has gained five senate and 20 Republican Assembly co-sponsors, yet has not been voted for at a public hearing. “It’s reflective of the current policymaking process in this state, which is that legislators are just throwing out ideas when they haven’t consulted with the stakeholders who will be affected,” Moynihan said. “They’re driven largely by their ideological preferences, not any of the underlying evidence.” Moynihan is not alone in his opposition of the bill. A letter from the UW System police chiefs to Wisconsin legislators
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ALAYNA TRUTTMANN/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
Bills allowing concealed carry in UW System buildings and banning fetal tissue research are among the proposals which could be taken up by the Legislature this month.
College affordability, gun bills among things to watch at Capitol By Andrew Bahl THE DAILY CARDINAL
As students return from their holiday break, so do state legislators, who will wrap up their floor session in the coming months. Here are five things students should keep an eye on at the Capitol this semester.
1. College affordability bills introduced
In an effort to combat the rising cost of higher education, Gov. Scott Walker has made college affordability a major priority for the coming months, collaborating with legislative Republicans to roll out a series of bills designed to help debt-laden students.
The proposals would allow student loan interest payments to be tax deductible, require colleges to better educate students on financial matters and increase emergency financial aid. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has said
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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”