Morning Update

Spring has sprung

Lake Monona Waterfront, NCAA champions, tuition increases, and more. Here's what you need to know in Madison today.

In this newsletter

Good morning, Madison!

It’s the first official day of spring and I have it on good authority that trend forecasters are saying this season's hottest accessory is the Madison Minutes baseball hat.

You can't buy these bad boys in stores or even online. The only way to get your hands on one is by telling your friends about Madison Minutes!

Are you up for the challenge?

I'm in it to win it

— Hayley

*The current Lake Monona waterfront via City of Madison*

🦩 You can help determine the future of the Lake Monona Waterfront.

After months of planning and development, three internationally renowned design teams have submitted their plans to reimagine the Lake Monona Waterfront.
The architects were tasked with creating a welcoming, inclusive, and environmentally focused master plan for the area to help guide future lakeshore projects and improvements along Lake Monona.
The design team finalists are Sasaki, Agency Landscape and Planning, and James Corner Field Operations. You can check out the key points of each team's plan here.
Where you come in: Madison residents have until March 23 to provide feedback on the designs through this survey. You can check out the design plans online here or in person at the Madison Parks' new central office.

💰 How much the proposed UW System tuition increase could cost students.

If you'll recall: UW System President Jay Rothman previously announced plans to seek a 5% tuition increase next school year. If approved, this would be the first time in roughly a decade that tuition has changed for in-state undergraduates.
Resident undergraduate UW-Madison students would see a $419 increase in tuition and a $250 increase in room and meal plan rates, a roughly 3% increase overall, according to the State Journal. Non-resident UW-Madison undergraduate students would see tuition increase by $1,137, or 3.3%.
There are no plans at this time to increase graduate tuition at UW-Madison.
Next steps: The Board of Regents will consider the proposal at its meeting later this month.

⚖️ Longtime Secretary of State Doug La Follette is retiring.

After more than four decades on the job, Doug La Follette announced he is retiring just months into his latest term.
Gov. Tony Evers has appointed former State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski to serve the remainder of La Follette’s term, which runs through 2026.
"After many years of frustration, I’ve decided I don’t want to spend the next three and a half years trying to run an office without adequate resources and staffing levels," La Follette wrote in his resignation letter. "After decades of public service, I must now focus on my personal needs."

🏒 National champs, once again.

The Badger women's hockey team won the NCAA championship over the weekend when they shut out top-ranked Ohio State.
This is the team's seventh title win in program history.
You can celebrate with the team tonight at an event at LaBahn Arena.

🗳️ Your lunchtime read: A century ago, 3 women blazed a path in the Wisconsin Legislature.

Via WHYsconsin: "How many women are there in the state Legislature? When was the first woman elected?

Those seemingly straightforward questions open a winding history through the state Capitol, from those first female assemblymen — as they were titled — to today, when women hold a record 41 of the state Legislature’s 132 seats."

📬

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🎙️ Today on City Cast Madison

Going Solar in Madison is Easier Than You Think

Powering your home with solar is not only good for the planet, it might actually save you money. Heather Allen, an advisor for RENEW Wisconsin, walks us through her experience putting solar panels on her Madison home. It’s easier than you might think, especially with incentives offered by the City of Madison, Wisconsin, and the federal government. Just watch out for squirrels.

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