The Latest: Cross makes case for UW capital budget

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on the University of Wisconsin System’s capital budget (all times local):

12:25 p.m.

University of Wisconsin officials are imploring Republicans to spend more than a billion dollars on building projects across the UW System.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ capital budget calls for about $1.1 billion for system projects, including upgrading classrooms and renovating buildings, including Camp Randall Stadium.

Republicans on the state Building Commission rejected the entire capital budget in March. The spending plan now sits before the Legislature’s finance committee without a commission endorsement. The GOP controls the committee.

UW System President Ray Cross and UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank held a news conference Tuesday at UW-Madison’s 116-year-old Agricultural Hall in hopes of convincing Republicans who control the committee to approve the system’s portion of the budget.

Cross said 60 percent of the system’s buildings are between 40 and 75 years old. He says the system needs better facilities to continue to attract and retain talent that employers need.

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10:15 a.m.

Top officials in the University of Wisconsin System are planning to make their case about the need to repair and renovate buildings across the system as lawmakers prepare to decide how much to spend on UW projects.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ capital budget proposal calls for about $1.1 billion for building projects across the UW System.

Republicans on the state Building Commission rejected the entire capital budget in March. Typically the commission makes a bipartisan recommendation based on the governor’s proposal to the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, which has traditionally gone along with the bulk of the request. Now Evers’ proposal stands before the Republican-controlled committee without a commission endorsement.

System President Ray Cross and UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank planned Tuesday to promote Evers’ proposal ahead of a committee vote that could come next week.