University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson is pushing back against Republican lawmakers who claim campuses need their permission to implement COVID-19 policies.
A key Republican lawmaker promised to pursue a lawsuit if Thompson won't abide.
UW campuses implemented a range of protocols this month heading into the fall semester, including mask and testing mandates.
Republican lawmakers responded by voting to block the system from implementing any COVID-19 policies without approval from the Legislature's GOP-controlled rules committee.
Thompson said Tuesday that the system doesn't need political approval for every internal management decision and legally controls access to its buildings and facilities.
