97_02_10

__________________

Agency Reports

State of Wisconsin
Department of Employment Relations
Madison

DATE: January 10, 1997

TO: Charles R. Sanders
Chief Clerk of the Assembly

FROM: Jon E. Litscher
Secretary

RE: Annual Report

The Department of Employment Relations, Division of Affirmative Action's annual Affirmative Action Report for Wisconsin State Government for fiscal year 1996 is now available. The report includes a summary of the State's equal employment opportunity/affirmative action responsibilities, the Division's equal employment opportunity and affirmative action program initiatives, and statistical reports on the status of affirmative action group members (women, racial/ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities) in the classified state service.

Copies may be obtained from the Department of Employment Relations, Division of Affirmative Action, 137 East Wilson Street, Madison 53702. The telephone number is [phone].

__________________

State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison

January 15, 1997

To the Honorable, the Legislature:

This is the biennial report of the operations and performance of the Legislative Audit Bureau for the period January 1, 1995 through December 31, 1996, as required by s. 13.94(1)(j), Wis. Stats.

A54 The Legislative Audit Bureau is a nonpartisan service agency of the Wisconsin Legislature and is responsible for conducting financial and program evaluation audits to assist the Legislature in its oversight of executive branch agencies. The Bureau's reports are received and reviewed by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, whose December 31, 1996 members included:

Prior to June 17, 1996, the Senate Members of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee were Senator Peggy Rosenzweig, Co-Chairperson; Senator Timothy Weeden; Senator Margaret Farrow; Senator Russell Decker (resigned December 19, 1995); and Senator Joseph Wineke. Representative Doris Hanson was appointed to the Committee effective June 17, 1996, replacing former Representative Kimberly Plache, who was elected to the Senate and became Senate Co-Chairperson.

During 1995 and 1996, the audit Bureau completed audits and evaluations of a wide range of programs and issues affecting state and local government . This report includes a description of the Bureau and its responsibilities, and a summary of our work during this period.

Respectfully submitted,

Dale Cattanach

State Auditor

__________________

State of Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade
and Consumer Protection
Madison

January 17, 1997

To the Honorable, the Assembly:

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has completed a report on the farmland preservation program as directed by 1995 Wisconsin Act 27.

The department was required to examine alternative methods for administering the farmland preservation tax credit payback requirement for persons who withdraw from the program. In the first part of the report, we identify the shortcomings of the current tax credit payback process. In the second part of the report, we discuss three alternatives to the current process:

(1) Modification of the current process to track parcel data, tax information and ownership changes at the state level.

(2) Replacement of the tax credit payback with a flat fee on farmland that is converted to other uses.

(3) Elimination of the tax credit payback from the program.

Please feel free to call David Jelinski at [phone] if you have any questions concerning this report.

Sincerely,

Alan T. Tracy

Secretary, DATCP