Here & Now

Evers OKs Online Sports Betting, Regents Fire UW President

Frederica Freyberg:
Governor Tony Evers Thursday signed a bipartisan bill into law that makes online sports betting legal in Wisconsin when those bets are made through servers located on tribal lands. Evers said the new law means a broader collection of Tribal Nations in Wisconsin could reap the benefits of increased gaming revenues. The measure saw opposition from major operators like Draft Kings and FanDuel. The 11 tribes will now negotiate new gaming compacts with the state to develop a model for sports betting.
In other news, the UW Board of Regents fired President Jay Rothman this week.

Regent:
To terminate the UW system president.

Frederica Freyberg:
And he is not going quietly. The board voted unanimously to remove Rothman, who says he was blindsided by the decision with no reasons given. In response, the state Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges took public testimony from regents to speak to Rothman’s termination. But the president of the region said personnel rules require confidentiality and they would detail their termination decision if Rothman would waive that confidentiality.

Amy Bogost:
President Rothman knows exactly what he is doing. He is a sophisticated professional who understands that personnel matters are confidential. … And yet President Rothman, who understands all of this, has chosen to use that constraint as a shield, making public statements he knows I cannot rebut and framing a narrative he knows I cannot correct. That is deliberately one sided. That is not a search for truth. That is strategy.

Frederica Freyberg:
For his part, Governor Tony Evers said, “Many see the ongoing threats to fire UW Regents as Republicans attempt to leverage and flex their political power while they still have it.”