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Madison — The speechwriter for University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank received a 29% pay raise this month after she was offered a job working for the state Supreme Court.

The speechwriter, Amanda Todd, initially accepted the court job but rescinded it earlier this month, on what was to be her first day on the court's payroll. Instead, she remained at UW-Madison, but with a salary that was $21,500 more than what she had been making.

The pay boost comes at a time when university spending has come under close scrutiny from Republicans who control the Legislature. The UW System is seeking a $132.9 million boost in taxpayer funding over the next two years.

Rep. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) said the hefty raise for Todd shows the university has plenty of funding and shouldn't get any increase.

"Details like this sometimes tell a lot about the larger picture of what revenues they have available," said Kooyenga, who sits on the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee.

Todd worked for the court for 21 years as a spokeswoman, most recently in a part-time position. She left in December 2013 to become Blank's speechwriter — a job that was newly created for the chancellor, who was appointed five months earlier.

More recently, Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson approved creating a new, $95,000-a-year communications position for the court and Todd was offered the job. Todd, a former broadcast journalist, accepted and was to go on the payroll Nov. 17 and appear at a state judicial conference in Appleton two days later.

But on what was to be her first day, Todd notified the court she was instead staying at UW-Madison. In the meantime, Blank's office increased her pay from $73,500 to $95,000, according to UW-Madison spokesman John Lucas.

"It's a remarkable increase," said Peter Fox, who headed the state's personnel office under Republican Govs. Tommy Thompson and Scott McCallum.

"Amanda is a wonderful journalist," Fox said. "She is a wonderful writer. She is a wonderful person. What's unusual here is the bidding war between the heads of two state agencies."

Other recent UW-Madison chancellors have not had a speechwriter and the president of the UW System, Ray Cross, does not have a full-time speechwriter. Gov. Scott Walker also does not have a speechwriter.

Several members of Cross' communications team share the speech writing role as part of their broader communications duties, according to UW System spokeswoman Heather LaRoi.

Todd holds a new position for UW-Madison as Blank's primary speechwriter and executive communicator, "reflecting the chancellor's major focus on outreach to audiences around the state of Wisconsin," said Lucas, who also is Todd's supervisor. "In consultation with the chancellor, Amanda helps prepare remarks, briefings and background for numerous public events every month."

Todd declined to comment. The university decided to match the Supreme Court's job offer because Todd is productive and has worked well with Blank, Lucas said.

"We decided we wanted to work as much as we could to retain her," he said.

Blank has put a focus on public outreach, in part by visiting all the four-year campuses in the UW System, Lucas said.

In October alone, Blank had at least 17 engagements requiring speaking preparation, including visiting the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce board, the Academic Staff Assembly and a 700-person luncheon during homecoming week, Lucas said.

"Somebody is writing speeches for chancellors and presidents" at other major universities, Lucas said. "It's just a matter of whether they blend it with another role."

At least a few other Big Ten universities have full-time speechwriters. The speechwriter at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities makes $89,000 and the one at the University of Michigan makes $130,000.

Michigan, which has had a full-time speechwriter for at least 12 years, is in the midst of a $4 billion capital campaign — one of the most ambitious campaigns in the history of public higher education funding.