Gov. Evers makes back-to-school stop at UW-La Crosse, calls for completion of science center project

A new science building is still the top priority for construction on the UW-La Crosse campus, and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is eager to see that facility built.

The governor took a tour of the UW-L campus on Monday and, again, promoted the second phase of the Prairie Springs Science Center.

Evers is frustrated with the lack of action from the GOP-led Joint Finance Committee on the project that’s been held up for around six years. The price tag has at least doubled. As of last year, it was proposed at around $180 million, originally costing about $93 million.

“We need to get this done, frankly, ” Evers told reporters. He says the “no” votes by legislators against the funding are “nothing but politics, and as a result of that, those decisions over the years, students aren’t getting the best education they could have with a better facility.”

While on the UW-L campus, accompanied by state lawmakers, Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) and Rep. Jill Billings (D-La Crosse), and new UW-L chancellor James Beeby, Evers spoke with students at Morris Hall, the Wittich Hall business center and the student union.

The governor is on a statewide back-to-school tour of UW campuses, as part of his campaign for an $800 million increase in funding on the university system.

Evers is critical of lawmakers who don’t want to release that funding, after it was already approved.

“We signed a budget,” he said, “agreed to a budget, and suddenly not releasing the money became this hammer on the university saying, ‘Well, we put the money in the budget, but you’re not gonna get it.’ Childish, immature behavior.”

The governor’s office points out that some UW branch campuses have closed, and employees are being laid off because the system is short of funding.