June 21, 2013 The Honorable Scott Walker Office of the Governor 115 East Capitol Madison, Wisconsin

53702 Sent via U.S. Mail and Facsimile (608-267-8983) URGENT Dear Governor Walker: The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) writes to you a second time regarding the serious threats to the First Amendment and academic freedom presented by the Joint Finance Committee of the Wisconsin State Legislatures recent modification to the proposed state budget. In its present form, the budget would forbid University of Wisconsin (UW) faculty from working with the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (WCIJ), a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism organization. We previously wrote to you on June 13, 2013, expressing our deep concern over this development. We have learned that the proposed state budget, including the modification concerning the WCIJ, has been approved by both the Assembly and Senate of the Wisconsin State Legislature and that it has now arrived at your desk for signature. As discussed in our previous letter (enclosed), academic freedom is protected by the First Amendment, which is fully binding on public institutions of higher educationand, of course, state governments. Forbidding UW faculty from doing any work related to the Center for Investigative Journalism, as the proposed budget does, is a clear violation of this fundamental constitutional right and freedom of expression more generally. We urge you to take decisive, immediate action to protect the academic freedom of UW faculty. In order to preserve the marketplace of ideas at Wisconsins public campuses, renowned nationwide for their tradition of inquiry and debate, the Committees modification must be rejected and removed immediately.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue. Sincerely, William Creeley Director of Legal and Public Advocacy Encl. cc: President Kevin P. Reilly, University of WisconsinMadison University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Brent Smith, Regent President Interim Chancellor David Ward, University of Wisconsin Andy Hall, Executive Director, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism Professor Greg Downey, Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication Professor Lewis A. Friedland, Director of the Center for Communication and Democracy Professor Donald Downs