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The student government at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will seek legal advice to decide whether the University breached any laws by taking segregated fees from the student council last year.

The Associated Students of Madison (ASM) Student Council passed a vote Wednesday to obtain legal guidance after the University took $180,000 in unused funds as part of Gov. Doyle’s state budget in June 2009.

Language in legislation proposed by student council representative  Max Love—changed from a stricter bill introduced on March 10—states that the student government is pursuing legal counsel to see whether the university broke any laws when it took the money and to see what options are now available to the student government.

ASM does not have any funds to pay for legal counsel, and so will seek free advice from a former ASM member.

The student council is debating whether to negotiate with the University through a memorandum of understanding during a closed session. ASM hopes that the outcome of those negotiations would prevent the University from taking segregated fees in the future.

The details of the meeting will be announced in mid-April.

More from the Badger Herald at the University of Wisconsin at Madison