EAU CLAIRE â Getting the second half of funding for a new academic building at UW-Eau Claire into the next state budget is among top priorities for state legislators representing the area. During a Friday morning panel discussion hosted online by the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, local politicians from both sides of the aisle spoke about their intention to push for $147 million needed to push ahead with a new Science and Health Sciences building at the local campus. âThat was on the top of my list,â said state Sen. Jeff Smith, D-town of Brunswick. Smith said he personally met with Gov. Tony Evers to urge him to include the buildingâs funding in the budget proposal, and the senator expressed a note of cautious optimism that it would get in.