MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Legislature's Republican-controlled budget committee has removed 83 items from Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal. That means they will have to take the more difficult path of passing as separate bills, rather than as part of the $76 billion budget.
Items removed include allowing University of Wisconsin students to opt-out of paying some fees and forcing UW campuses to develop a plan to track the hours that faculty are teaching.
They also took out Walker's call to delete the required hours of teaching for public and private choice schools.
The co-chairs also removed a so-called "freedom of expression" requirement for UW campuses that critics warned could actually silence some speech.
They also cut a requirement that UW students have internship or work experience in order to graduate.