GOP shows split on UW COVID rules
Steineke, Cowles come out in support of Thompson
Republicans already appeared divided over how far to go in confronting the University of Wisconsin System — specifically former Gov. Tommy Thompson — over setting its COVID-19 policies. On Thursday, the split widened. First, UW System interim President Thompson and UW Regent President Edmund Manydeeds III sent a letter to Nass and Neylon confirming they would not come to the committee for permission before implementing such steps as mandatory testing and mask rules on UW campuses.
Then state Sen. Robert Cowles, RGreen Bay, issued a statement saying he supports the UW System’s ability to make its own decisions about how to control the spread of COVID-19 on campuses.
Finally, state Sen. Steve Nass, RWhitewater, capped the day by saying he’ll formally ask State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, to take the state university system to court.
Nass is the senator who proposed a motion in the Legislature’s rules committee that required the UW System to submit any COVID-19 protocols for approval. The motion passed on a partyline vote Aug. 3, which Nass and committee co-chair Rep. Adam Neylon, RPewaukee, said gives them power over pandemic-related rules on campus.
In their letter to Nass and Neylon, Thompson and Manydeeds called out the rules committee for not holding a public hearing on Nass’ proposal and for not taking any steps in the 14 months before this point to weigh in on campuses’ pandemic responses.
“On its face, this directive is overly broad and lacks reasonable specificity by which to evaluate and discuss concerns rationally,” Thompson and Manydeeds wrote. “We believe (the rules committee’s) position is instructive, however, as it highlights the nature of the executive functions and actions that your committee takes issue with that have been explicitly delegated to us by statute and rule, and have been long recognized as core responsibilities of the Board of Regents by the legislature and the courts.”
The letter also noted Nass’ own previous actions conflicted with the idea that the UW System has to consult with the Legislature, pointing to a bill proposed but never taken up to change established state law so that UW campuses are prohibited from implementing vaccine mandates.
Thompson, a Republican and the state’s longest-serving governor, had made his feelings known last week, calling the directive “both wrong on the law and wrong as a matter of public policy.”
He essentially dared his former colleagues to take him and the UW System to court, saying he’d take the fight all the way to the state Supreme Court.
“We think we’ve got a great case,” he said.
His comments drew support from Republican Assembly leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, who said last week he had no interest in suing UW, saying doing so “would only add more confusion during an already stressful time” as students return to campuses.
Now Cowles has joined in.