June5,2013 TothemembersoftheWisconsinStateLegislatureAssemblyandSenate: WewritetoexpressourstrongoppositiontoProvision999ofthe20132015budgetapproved todaybytheJointFinanceCommittee.EntitledCenterforInvestigativeJournalism,the provisionwouldProhibittheBoardofRegentsfrompermittingtheCenterforInvestigative JournalismtooccupyanyfacilitiesownedorleasedbytheBoardofRegents.Inaddition, prohibitUWemployeesfromdoinganyworkrelatedtotheCenterforInvestigativeJournalism aspartoftheirdutiesasaUWemployee. AsstudentsandgraduatesoftheUniversityofWisconsinMadisonwhohavepreviously interned,workedatorcollaboratedwiththeWisconsinCenterforInvestigativeJournalism,we canattestthattheawardwinningCenterspresenceoncampushasbeenfundamentalto helpingusbeginourcareersasjournalists.AttheCenter,weexposedhowcollegecampuses failtosupportvictimsofsexualassaultsaformergovernorsviolationofstatetravelregulations theexploitationofforeignworkersinWisconsintouristzones,andconducteddozensofother importantinvestigations.

ManyofushavebuiltuponourexperiencesattheCenterbylater reportingforWisconsinandnationalmediaincludingBloomberg,theAssociatedPressand Forbes,incitiesandtownsacrossWisconsinandtheUnitedStates,andinseveralcountries throughouttheworld. AcoremissionoftheCenteristotrainthenextgenerationofinvestigativejournalists.Itmeets thismissioninlargepartbycollaboratingwithUWfacultyintheJournalismschooltoprovide studentswithexperienceinusingpublicrecords,data,interviewsandotherresearchtoolsin theirinvestigativereporting.HavingtheCenteroncampusallowsCenterstafftocollaborate closelywithUWstudentsonadailybasis.BoththeinvolvementofUWfacultyandthepresence oftheCenteroncampusarecriticaltoprovidingstudentswiththeopportunitytolearntheethics, valuesandlogisticsofreportingforthepublicgood. WeurgethemembersoftheAssemblyandSenatetovotetoremoveProvision999fromthe 20132015Budget. Sincerely, JacobKushner Intern,May2009toMay2010 AlexMorrell Intern,May2009toJune2010 SaraJerving, Intern,September2009toJuly2010

AlexandraTempus Intern,MaytoDecember2010 LukasKeapproth Intern,JanuarytoAugust2012 AlecLuhn Freelancereporter,JunetoAugust2010 JakeNaughton Freelancecontributor,January2010toMay2010 AmyKaron Intern,April2011toMay2012 JulieStrupp Intern,January2011toDecember2012 SarahKaron, Intern,May2011toFebruary2013 AlexandraClinton Intern,May2009toAugust2009