The future is looking somewhat better for Wisconsin's state educational Internet system and the university division that supports it. By late Wednesday Wisconsin's state Assembly had come up with revised legislation for WiscNet that will allow it to receive continued funding from the University of Wisconsin's Division of Information Technology. The Assembly gave the provisions and state budget final approval very early this morning. WiscNet provides Internet for most of Wisconsin's public schools and libraries.

"We want to run this by our legal staff, but we believe this gives WiscNet enough flexibility to provide service and access to their current members," John Krogman, chief operating officer for the UW-Madison Division, told the Wisconsin State Journal.

No more calls, please

WiscNet's outlook was less rosy until the end of Wednesday's partisan battles over state finances. An Assembly Joint Finance Committee proposal released earlier this month would have forced WiscNet to separate itself from the UW-Madison Division as of July 1, 2012 and forgo $1.4 million in funds from the UW system in 2012-13. This would have compelled some schools to opt for Badgernet, a telecom-backed nonprofit heavily reliant on AT&T as its primary vendor, instead of the WiscNet system. Legislators expressed concern about the government getting into the Internet access business, even when that access appeared to save the state significant amounts of money.

The budget legislation would also have barred the UW system from receiving or dispersing any funds from the federal government's broadband stimulus program, forcing the university to return almost $40 million in funds. It would also have prevented the state's Board of Regents or UW System from providing telecommunications services "that are available from a private telecommunications carrier to the general public or to any other private entity" to anyone except the UW system itself.

And the prior deal would have prohibited the UW system from "becoming or remaining a member, shareholder, or partner" with any entity that "offers, resells, or provides telecommunications services to members of the general public." This would have barred UW from working with Internet2—the nonprofit bringing high speed Internet to schools and libraries across the country.

But by Monday, hundreds of Internet, community, and educational groups had deluged the state legislature with protests against the proposals. "Legislators said, 'please don't call us any more,'" University of Wisconsin economic development professor Andy Lewis told us.

On Wednesday WiscNet supporters demonstrated at the state capitol. "Lots of UW people in suits fighting for #wiscnet," tweeted UW network engineer Jeff Bartig. "I feel underdressed, but I don't own a suit."

Not committed prior to June 15

In the middle of Wednesday's noisy budget debate—replete with accusations of "class warfare" and warnings from the podium against hecklers—state Democrats introduced an amendment to delete all language in reference to WiscNet and the broadband grant. But that proposal went down 59 to 39.

What remains is Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 40. This compromise deletes the provision prohibiting WiscNet from staying with UW-Madison. It also restores the related funding of $1,400,000 for 2012-13. But the new language requires the Legislative Audit Bureau to do a financial and performance evaluation of the UW's "use of broadband services" and submit it to the legislature by January 1, 2013.

The latest package still prohibits UW from becoming a member of any entity that "provides telecommunications services to the general public." But the phrase "directly or indirectly" is deleted, and it stipulates that that provision won't take effect until July 1, 2013. And the Joint Committee on Finance "could act to further delay the effective date of those changes."

In addition, the university could remain part of such an entity if "(a) the entity does not offer, resell, or provide telecommunications services that it did not offer, resell, or provide on June 15, 2011... or (b) the entity is comprised entirely of universities and university-affiliated research facilities."

Taking the time

Finally, UW-Extension can accept broadband stimulus grant money if the funds "were not committed prior to June 15, 2011... unless approved by the Joint Committee on Finance." In other words, UW-Extension can keep the stimulus money it received prior to Wednesday.

The Wisconsin budget saga isn't over, but even with various strings attached, these provisions do seem considerably improved from the earlier proposals.

"We are taking time to carefully review this amendment and remain cautiously optimistic," WiscNet declared on its website at 8:20pm last night.

And at least one pro-WiscNet activist is willing to declare something akin to victory. "Never underestimate organized educators and librarians," his blog proclaims.

Listing image by Photo by Jeremy M. Farmer