Monday, March 15, 1999
Ninety-Fourth Regular Session
The Chief Clerk makes the following entries under the above date:
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Relating to the cancellation of indebtedness under the economic assistance, veterans trust fund stabilization and personal and secondary loan programs.
Submitted by Department of Veterans Affairs.
Report received from Agency, March 8, 1999.
To committee on Veterans and Military Affairs
.
Referred on March 15, 1999
.
Relating to grade standards for colby and monterey (jack) cheese.
Submitted by Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Report received from Agency, March 5, 1999.
To committee on Agriculture.
Referred on March 15, 1999
.
Relating to reporting and investigation of caregiver misconduct and operation of the caregiver misconduct registry.
Submitted by Department of Health and Family Services.
Report received from Agency, March 10, 1999.
To committee on Health.
Referred on March 15, 1999
.
Relating to uniform procedures for checking the backgrounds of persons who apply to provide or are providing care or treatment to people who need that care or treatment, and for barring persons because of specified convictions, charges or findings substantially related to the care of clients from operating a service provider organization, providing care or treatment to the clients of a service provider or otherwise having contact with the clients of a service provider.
Submitted by Department of Health and Family Services.
Report received from Agency, March 9, 1999.
To committee on Health.
Referred on March 15, 1999
.
Relating to the release of information to a collection agency under contract with the state to collect delinquent department loans.
Submitted by Department of Veterans Affairs.
Report received from Agency, March 8, 1999.
To committee on Veterans and Military Affairs
.
Referred on March 15, 1999
.
Relating to the design and construction of public swimming pools.
Submitted by Department of Commerce.
Report received from Agency, March 9, 1999.
To committee on Tourism and Recreation
.
Referred on March 15, 1999
.
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Read first time and referred:
Assembly Bill 201
Relating to: eliminating substitution of judges in criminal matters.
By
Representatives Walker, Krusick, Gundrum, Ladwig, F. Lasee, Porter, Hahn, Jensen, Brandemuehl, Ziegelbauer, Olsen, M. Lehman, Musser, Skindrud, Plale, Albers, Stone, Gunderson, Kelso, Montgomery, Nass, Seratti, Owens, Powers and Kedzie; cosponsored by Senators Darling, Roessler, Farrow, Zien and Fitzgerald.
To committee on Corrections and the Courts
.
Assembly Bill 202
Relating to: the powers of certain towns and authorizing the creation of charter towns by certain town boards.
By
Representatives Owens, Ainsworth, Freese, Goetsch, Gunderson, Handrick, Hasenohrl, Ladwig, F. Lasee and Skindrud; cosponsored by Senator Schultz
.
To committee on Urban and Local Affairs
.
Assembly Bill 203
Relating to: automatic fire sprinkler systems in University of Wisconsin System residence halls.
A110
By
Representatives Kreibich, Kelso, Hahn, Plale, Sykora, Brandemuehl, Wasserman, Spillner, Owens, Hutchison, Seratti, Petrowski, Urban, Ott, Underheim, Powers and Gunderson; cosponsored by Senators Risser, Darling and Zien.
To committee on Colleges and Universities
.
Assembly Bill 204
Relating to: the right to recover for injuries and costs resulting from the use of a controlled substance or a controlled substance analog.
By
Representatives Suder, Ainsworth, Albers, Freese, Goetsch, Huebsch, Kestell, Klusman, Musser, Nass, Owens, Petrowski, Plale, Powers, Seratti, Skindrud, Stone and Sykora; cosponsored by Senators Darling, Breske, Clausing, Fitzgerald, Roessler and Schultz.
To committee on Judiciary and Personal Privacy
.
Assembly Bill 205
Relating to: possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor and providing a penalty.
By
Representatives Jeskewitz, Ladwig, Ziegelbauer, Stone, Owens, Kelso, Musser, Vrakas, Huebsch, Albers, Jensen, Plale, F. Lasee, Kreibich and Spillner; cosponsored by Senators Huelsman, Darling, Roessler, Farrow and Rosenzweig.
To committee on Criminal Justice
.
Assembly Bill 206
Relating to: creating a permit authorizing the operation upon a highway of a specialized hauling rig that exceeds statutory size and weight limits.
By
Representatives Brandemuehl, Albers, Goetsch, Gronemus, La Fave and Powers; cosponsored by Senators Breske and Schultz.
To committee on Transportation.
Assembly Bill 207
Relating to: sexual exploitation of a child.
By
Representatives Huebsch, Rhoades, Petrowski, Hundertmark, Suder, Townsend, Pettis, Kestell, Montgomery, Gundrum, Klusman, Musser, Porter, Goetsch, Albers, Freese, Owens, Ladwig, M. Lehman, Staskunas, Turner, Sykora, Spillner, Kelso, Urban, Olsen, Jensen, Handrick, Vrakas, Kaufert and Gard; cosponsored by Senators Darling, Rosenzweig, Roessler and Drzewiecki.
To committee on Judiciary and Personal Privacy
.
Assembly Bill 208
Relating to: publication or dissemination of false information pertaining to a response to certain questions and providing a penalty.
By
Representatives Montgomery, Suder, Freese, Ryba, Musser, Kestell, Ainsworth, Porter, Bock, Skindrud, Ott, Urban, Wasserman, Duff, Walker, Vrakas, Handrick, Hahn, Ladwig, Owens, M. Lehman, Seratti, Goetsch, Kaufert, Albers and Brandemuehl; cosponsored by Senators Roessler, Clausing, Huelsman, Plache and Lazich.
To committee on Campaigns and Elections
.
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Department of Justice
Madison
March 10, 1999
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
I am pleased to enclose
The Telecommunications Advocate: What Has Been Accomplished and What Remains to be Done, a Department of Justice report on the telecommunications advocate position created as a part of
1993 Act 496, the Telecommunications Deregulation Act. This position is funded by assessments on the state's telecommunications firms, not state tax dollars.
This report details a solid record of achievement by the Telecommunications Advocate, but continuation of this important work will require legislative action. The 1993 Act placed a sunset on the advocate position, which will expire on July 1, 1999 without reauthorization by the Legislature. Because of the effectiveness of the Advocate, the Department of Justice requested that the position be made permanent in its budget request. However, the Governor's budget proposes elimination of the position.
As the report explains, the Telecommunications Advocate is needed more than ever. Consumer complaints about illegal slamming and cramming are skyrocketing. As more and more unscrupulous firms illegally exploit consumer confusion about the changing telecommunications markets, it is important to retain the Department of Justice's resources for bringing forfeiture and other enforcement actions against telecommunications scam artists.
Telecommunications deregulation is based on the idea that oversight of telecommunications firms by the Public Service Commission will decrease as competition develops. As this process unfolds, the role of the Department of Justice in reviewing the activities of telecommunications firms for antitrust and consumer protection violations has expanded. For example, the Telecommunications Advocate is currently spearheading a multistate antitrust review of the proposed SBC-Ameritech merger. This is the only investigation of the impact of this huge merger on Wisconsin, since PSC authority to approve the merger was eliminated as part of the 1994 legislation. The Telecommunications Advocate is needed to carry on these important and growing responsibilities.
