MADISON, Wis. -- The state Assembly on Wednesday refused to take up a resolution calling on the University of Wisconsin-Madison to fire an instructor who believes the federal government orchestrated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

VIDEO: Lawmaker Speaks

Republican Rep. Steve Nass offered a resolution condemning the university's decision to let Kevin Barrett teach an introductory course on Islam this fall and asked it to cut ties with the instructor.

The Republican-controlled Assembly was in a brief session Wednesday to approve new employment contracts with state workers, but adjourned in the afternoon without taking up the matter.

Yet some lawmakers are still demanding that UW-Madison fire Barrett, and if it doesn't, they said they'll try to cut university funding.

Nass is gathering signatures from lawmakers. They will send a letter to UW-Madison asking for Barrett's termination from his lecturer job.

If that doesn't happen, Nass said he will try to cut funding for administrators who he says have lost their common sense.

"We can isolate the administrative positions for the university and target those positions and remove some of the funding for those positions very specifically and methodically in the budget," Nass said.

But Rep. Spencer Black, a Democrat from Madison, said he opposes Legislature involvement in the matter.

"I have no respect for this guy's theories. I don't even know if he's the right guy to hire for the course. What I do know is that it's a very bad idea to for the Legislature to start trying to dictate who can say what at the university," Black said.

Barrett told WISC-TV that "it would be a travesty if a great university suffered because of an idiot like Nass."

Barrett is challenging Nass to a debate and asking him to take a hard look at the facts.