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UW System interim president Tommy Thompson said on Tuesday he was ready to file a lawsuit and did not need “political approval” from the legislature to keep campuses open safely. security.
MADISON, Wisconsin – Acting University of Wisconsin system chairman Tommy Thompson said on Tuesday that UW would not submit COVID-19 security policies to a Republican-controlled legislative committee, adding that the system was prepared to go to court to keep campuses safe and open. this autumn.
Republican leaders have said they will take legal action to try to force UW and the former Republican governor into compliance.
“The claim that the university does not have this authority is not only false, but also incredibly problematic as we bring students back to campus,” Thompson said in a statement, the former US Secretary of Health. and the Social Services of President George W. Bush. . “The UW system is not required to seek political approval for every internal management decision, and neither should it. “
Three weeks ago, a Republican-controlled legislative committee ruled that UW’s 13 institutions and 26 campuses must submit all COVID-19 security policies to them within a month, as part of the process. rule making. That means campuses have until September 2, the first day of classes, to submit any terms of reference to the committee for approval – a move that Thompson says violates state law.
“I am not a virgin of any litigation whatsoever. If they want to sue me, fine. We will answer them. We will be in circuit court, we will be in supreme court, we will be in federal court: wherever they want to go, ”President Thompson said at a press conference with reporters. “I think they’re going to lose; I think they are going to waste their time. And I haven’t heard anyone from the Legislature call up and say, “We’re going to take legal action against you.”
In a statement, Sen. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), who chairs the Joint Administrative Rules Review Committee, said he would ask Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu to ‘File a lawsuit after the September 2 settlement deadline expired, forcing UW to comply.
“It’s no surprise that the administrators of the UW System Ivory Tower openly defy state law to issue Covid-19 warrants to vet every adult who dares to walk on their campuses with the notable exception of 70,000 fans paying tickets to football games in Madison, ”Senator Nass said in a statement. “It is sad that Interim President Tommy Thompson has once again shown his belief in big government control over the rights of individuals to make their own health decisions.”
During Tuesday’s call, Thompson didn’t mince words with lawmakers, referring to a “successful year” in 2020 by keeping campuses open.
“Let me start over. Get out of my way. “
Current UW System Safety Requirements
Currently, all campuses in the UW system have some sort of mask requirement or expectation in place, with the language varying depending on the campus. Last week, UW-Madison announced a requirement for weekly COVID-19 testing on campus for unvaccinated staff and students, as well as those who are vaccinated but have not provided evidence.
“We can expect a continued increase in positive cases, including some cases among those vaccinated, as the delta variant is more contagious than previous variants and a breakthrough is inevitable,” the system said in a press release to the time.
On August 3, the same day as the Joint Committee to Revise Business Rules vote, UW-Madison also announced a mask requirement for all staff and students for indoor campus buildings. The mandate includes exceptions for students in their own dormitories, staff when alone in their own office with doors closed, and while eating or drinking.
“The effort to block the authority of the UW system is both wrong in law and wrong in public policy,” said Thompson. “If this had happened last school year, the University might never have been able to set up community testing and vaccination sites, or even isolate sick students. It would have been a disaster. I do not intend to abdicate our responsibility.
No UW vaccine requirement at this time
Thompson previously ruled out vaccine requirements for staff or students on campus, a move he said on Tuesday he was sticking to for now, but did not rule out anything if campuses saw a increase linked to the Delta variant this fall.
Hundreds of colleges across the country are making vaccines a requirement. A Chronicle of Higher Education database reveals that 680 public and private colleges require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a mid-August US News report.
In Wisconsin, a handful of colleges have also announced vaccine requirements, including Beloit College, Marquette University, and Carthage College.
Correction: This article has been updated to correct the UW System COVID-19 requirements versus the UW-Madison COVID-19 requirements
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