Vacancies - None.
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Representative Vrakas asked unanimous consent for a leave of absence for today's session for Representatives Ainsworth and Seratti. Granted.
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Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 684 offered by committee on Natural Resources.
Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 701 offered by Representative Suder.
Assembly amendment 2 to Assembly Bill 701 offered by Representatives Walker and Sherman.
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Read first time and referred:
Assembly Bill 708
Relating to: applicability of the local governmental unit negotiation and cost-recovery process for contaminated property.
By
Representatives Jensen, Vrakas, Pettis, Kelso, Stone, Gundrum, Kedzie, Ladwig, Owens, Duff, Hoven, Olsen, Walker, Staskunas, Musser, Kreibich, Sykora, Spillner, Albers, Porter, Turner and Kreuser; cosponsored by Senators Wirch, Huelsman and Schultz.
To committee on Environment.
Assembly Bill 709
Relating to: regulation of athletic agents, granting rule-making authority and providing a penalty.
By
Representatives Wieckert, Underheim, Kreibich, Suder, Ott, Hahn, Albers, Goetsch, Sykora, Musser, Owens, Olsen, Huebsch, Kreuser, Kelso, Pettis, Seratti, Miller, Vrakas, Ainsworth, Kaufert and Plouff; cosponsored by Senators Grobschmidt, Roessler, Welch and Rosenzweig.
To committee on Labor and Employment
.
Assembly Bill 710
Relating to: the reorganization and modernization of chapter 66 of the statutes.
By
Joint Legislative Council.
To committee on Urban and Local Affairs
.
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The committee on Rural Affairs and Forestry reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 669
Relating to: failure to pay owners of raw forest products.
Ayes: 9 - Representatives Ainsworth, Musser, Rhoades, Freese, Klusman, Hubler, Gronemus, Hasenohrl and Sherman.
Noes: 0.
To joint committee on Finance.
John Ainsworth
Chairperson
Committee on Rural Affairs and Forestry
The joint survey committee on Tax Exemptions reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 456
Relating to: creating an individual income tax subtract modification for amounts spent on medical insurance premiums by certain individuals.
Adoption of Report:
Ayes: 5 - Representatives Hahn and Hebl, Senators Decker and Breske, and Mr. Paul Vrakas.
Noes: 4 - Senator Cowles, Representative M. Lehman, Ms. Secretary Cate Zeuske and Mr. Alan Lee, Department of Justice.
To committee on Rules.
Eugene Hahn
Assembly Chairperson
Joint survey committee on Tax Exemptions
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By Donald J. Schneider, Senate Chief Clerk.
Mr. Speaker:
I am directed to inform you that the Senate has
Concurred in:
Assembly Bill 448
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Speaker's Communications
February 1, 2000
Charles Sanders
Assembly Chief Clerk
1 East Main Street, Suite 402
Madison, Wisconsin 53708
Dear Mr. Sanders:
On January 31, 2000,
Assembly Bill 694, relating to bonding authority of the Wisconsin health and educational facilities authority was referred to the Joint Committee on Finance. Pursuant to Assembly Rule
42 (3)(c), I hereby withdraw
Assembly Bill 694 from the Joint Committee on Finance and re-refer that bill to the Assembly Committee on Health.
Representative Gard has been notified of this change and approves.
Sincerely,
Scott R. Jensen
Assembly Speaker
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
February 2, 2000
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, as required by s.
119.23(9), Wis. Stats. This program provides publicly funded private school tuition for low-income children in Milwaukee and was established in 1990. After the Wisconsin Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of religious schools' participation in 1998, and the United States Supreme Court allowed that decision to stand, Choice enrollment increased significantly. In the 1999-2000 school year, approximately 8,000 pupils are enrolled in 91 private schools, which will receive an estimated $38.9 million in publicly funded tuition payments.
Some hopes for the program - most notably, that it would increase participating pupils' academic achievement - cannot be documented, largely because uniform testing is not required in participating schools. However, the program is serving low-income children and is serving a population whose ethnic composition is similar to that in Milwaukee Public Schools. Participating schools are located throughout the city and appear to be providing a variety of educational options. The application and admissions process has drawn criticism; we include alternatives to modify that process and to improve applicants' knowledge of program requirements.
Seventy-six of the 86 schools participating in the program in 1998-99 reported some form of independent quality review or performance measurement, such as accreditation by the Wisconsin Nonpublic School Accrediting Association or other organizations. All participating schools are required to meet statutory requirements intended to promote educational quality, such as a requirement to provide instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and health, and all schools have submitted information indicating compliance.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by the Department of Public Instruction, Milwaukee Public Schools, the participating private schools, and the families that responded to our survey concerning participation in the Choice program. The Department's response is Appendix VIII.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
Special Guest
Representatives Urban and Gundrum introduced Miss Wisconsin Mary-Louise Kurey from Brookfield, who addressed the members from the rostrum.
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Representative Vrakas asked unanimous consent that the Assembly stand recessed. Granted.
The Assembly stood recessed.
10:50 A.M.
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12:40 P.M.
