The largest budget increase ever proposed for the Universities of Wisconsin System. Governor Tony Evers announced that Friday to the Board of Regents. He said in his next biennial budget, he will ask the legislature to provide an increase of over $400 million in each year of the biennium for the UW system. Evers said the big boost is needed to prevent “further degradation” of the UW System, and that being 42nd in the nation in support of public universities “doesn’t cut it.” Seven four year campuses are facing budget shortfalls and UW Oshkosh has exhausted its reserves. Republicans on the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee have rejected the Democratic governor’s previous UW budget requests.