Dem. Governor NOT Happy About What Conservative University Official Just Announced

A conservative University of Wisconsin regent has announced he will not step down when his term concludes this month.

Robert Atwell, appointed to the Board of Regents by then-Governor Scott Walker, a Republican, began his seven-year term in May 2017, which is set to end this month.

In an email sent on Monday to Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman, regents President Karen Walsh, and regents Executive Director Megan Wasley, Atwell stated he will not step down until he decides to resign or until the state Senate confirms a successor.

This stance is supported by a 2022 state Supreme Court ruling which stated that political appointees do not have to vacate their positions until their successors are confirmed by the Senate.

Atwell noted in his email that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos reminded him of his right to remain in his regent position.

Democratic Governor Tony Evers has not yet announced a successor for Atwell.

"I knew Bob Atwell as a person of high personal integrity," Evers told The Associated Press on Saturday. "Something has changed."

Mark Pitsch, a spokesperson for the UW system, did not return a message seeking comment.

In his email, Atwell expressed his hope that his "temporary continuation" as a regent would enhance communication between legislators and the regents.

He also criticized the UW system’s financial reporting as weak and took issue with UW studies suggesting that graduates earn more due to attending a UW school, calling such conclusions "shallow, inaccurate, and highly insulting to parents, the students themselves, and the community institutions who also help form young people."

Additionally, Atwell mentioned that his questions about the number of faculty and staff who quit or were fired for defying the system's COVID-19 vaccine mandate have gone unanswered.

Atwell is one of two remaining Walker-appointed regents on the board, the other being Cris Peterson, whose term expires in May 2025.