Friday, October 26, 2001
Ninety-Fifth Regular Session
STATE OF WISCONSIN
Senate Journal
The Chief Clerk makes the following entries under the above date.
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INTRODUCTION, first reading and reference of bills
Read first time and referred:
Senate Bill 294
Relating to: single sales factor apportionment of income for corporate income tax and franchise tax purposes and granting rule-making authority.
By Senators Shibilski, Wirch, Plache, Breske, Grobschmidt, M. Meyer, Moen, Welch, Rosenzweig, A. Lasee, Harsdorf and Schultz; cosponsored by Representatives Gard, Jensen, M. Lehman, Riley, Ziegelbauer, Townsend and Seratti.
To committee on Universities, Housing, and Government Operations.
Senate Bill 295
Relating to: funding for the Biostar program.
By Senators Chvala, Robson, Decker, Burke and Grobschmidt; cosponsored by Representatives Lassa, Wieckert, Black, Musser, Wasserman, M. Lehman, Boyle, Shilling, Balow, Colon, Turner, Bock and Ryba.
To committee on Economic Development and Corrections.
Senate Bill 296
Relating to: investment in venture capital investment firms, a grant to a high-technology business development corporation, and making an appropriation.
By Senators Chvala, Robson, Decker and Burke; cosponsored by Representatives Lassa, Wieckert, Black, Musser, Wasserman, M. Lehman, Boyle, Shilling, Balow, Colon, Turner and Ryba.
To committee on Economic Development and Corrections.
Senate Bill 297
Relating to: the rights of persons who are called into active state service and providing penalties.
By Senators Moen, Breske, S. Fitzgerald, Risser, Cowles, Wirch, Hansen, Grobschmidt, Baumgart, Darling, Welch, Schultz, Rosenzweig and Roessler; cosponsored by Representatives Musser, Pocan, Urban, Ryba, Gronemus, Ladwig, Freese, Suder, Turner, Lassa, Gundrum, J. Lehman, Petrowski, Riley, Kreuser, Ott, Sykora, Grothman, Owens, Nass, Colon, Gunderson, Miller, Vrakas, La Fave and Seratti.
To committee on Health, Utilities, Veterans and Military Affairs.
Senate Bill 298
Relating to: reemployment rights after national guard or state defense force service, providing an exemption from emergency rule-making procedures, and granting rule-making authority.
By Senators Moen, Breske, S. Fitzgerald, Risser, Burke, Plache, Wirch, Hansen, Grobschmidt, Darling, Welch, Schultz, Rosenzweig and Roessler; cosponsored by Representatives Musser, Ryba, Nass, Pocan, Gronemus, Ladwig, Freese, Turner, Hahn, Townsend, Gundrum, Lassa, Petrowski, Boyle, Riley, Sykora, Ott, Vrakas, Owens, Colon, Kreuser, La Fave, Albers, Gunderson, Miller and Meyerhofer.
To committee on Health, Utilities, Veterans and Military Affairs.
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petitions and communications
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
October 25,2001
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of the Department of Transportation's bridge inspection program, as requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. In fiscal year 2000-01, the Department spent approximately $2.2 million in segregated funds to inspect state-owned bridges, including an estimated $1.2 million to hire consultants from the private sector
The Department's written policies for inspecting the 4,858 state-owned bridges are generally consistent with federal regulations and other national guidelines, and state staff meet federal bridge inspection qualifications. The Department does not, however, adequately monitor bridge inspection costs or valuate the cost-effectiveness of its use of consultants by comparing their costs to the costs of inspections performed by state staff. It also does not use the most recent data on bridge traffic to measure the condition of state bridges. We have included recommendations to address these concerns.
The Department has increased staff time devoted to bridge inspection. However, we found that from January 2000 through August 2001, 15.9 percent of routine bridge inspections and 8.0 percent of inspections of structurally deficient bridges were not completed within the two-year period required by both state and federal law. Therefore, we have also included a recommendation that the Department ensure inspections are completed in a timely manner.
S429 National bridge experts have determined that the Department could not have foreseen the failure of the Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee in December 2000. We found, however, that the Department had not conducted routine inspections of the bridge as frequently as required by law. The Department estimates that the bridge repair work will cost approximately $15.8 million.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by the Department. The Department's response is Appendix 3.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Joint Legislative Council
October 25, 2001
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to transmit to you the following report to the 2001 Legislature on legislation introduced by the Joint Legislative Council:
RL 2001-07 Legislation on Developmental Disabilities
(2001 Sente Bill 231 and Assembly Bill 473)
I would appreciate your including this letter in the Journal for the information of the membership. Additional copies of this report are available at the Legislative Council Staff offices, One East Main, Suite 401, or from our web page at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lc/report_by_topic.htm.
Sincerely,
Terry C. Anderson
Director
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referrals and receipt of committee reports concerning proposed administrative rules
Relating to the minimum number of hours to be required in a social worker training certificate internship.
Submitted by Department of Regulation and Licensing.
Report received from Agency, October 25, 2001.
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