__________________
State of Wisconsin
December 13, 1999
The Honorable, The Senate:
Pursuant to Senate Rule
20 (2)(a) and
(b), and s.
15.105(27), Wisconsin Statutes, I have appointed Senator Jon Erpenbach and Senator Dale Schultz to the Census Education Board.
With regard to the minority party member, the appointment reflects the nomination of that caucus.
Sincerely,
Chuck Chvala
Chair, Committee on Senate Organization
State of Wisconsin
Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District
December 16, 1999
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Attached please find the Miller Park monthly progress report for the month of November 1999 for your review and consideration. As the enclosed report indicates, Miller Park continues to develop with the District Board's objectives of building the premier baseball facility in the country; scheduled for play on Opening Day 2001; within budget; and with meaningful community participation.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments regarding the enclosed report.
Sincerely,
Michael R. Duckett, P.E.,R.L.S.
Executive Director
State of Wisconsin
Investment Board
December 6, 1999
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Annually under s.
25.17(14g) of the Statutes, the Investment Board submits a report to the Legislature on investment goals and long-term strategies. I am writing to let you know of our plan to submit this year's report in January. Although this will be after the December 31 due date, it will enable us to provide a more complete and informative report to you.
Additional review of the investment strategy for the Wisconsin Retirement System trust funds will take place at the meeting of our Board of Trustees in mid-January. We believe that it will be helpful to reflect the outcome of that discussion in our report to you. We will also revisit strategy matters covered in the recent report by the Legislative Audit Bureau.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Patricia Lipton
Executive Director
Legislative Audit Bureau
December 9, 1999
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed a financial and program evaluation audit of the Division of Gaming within the Department of Administration, as required by s.
13.94(1)(eg), Wis. Stats. the Division administers and regulates the State's racing, Indian gaming, and charitable gaming activities. We have issued an unqualified opinion on the Division's budgetary-based financial statements for fiscal year (FY) 1998-99 and FY 1997-98.
Revenues from pari-mutuel racing and charitable gaming have declined significantly in recent years, in part as a result of declining consumer interest in gaming. Tax revenues generated by pari-mutuel racing declined from $4.7 million in FY 1994-95 to $2.2 million in FY 1998-99, or by 53.2 percent. Charitable gaming revenue has decreased largely as a result of a decline in bingo tax revenues, which have fallen from $566,000 in FY 1994-95 to $490,000 in FY 1998-99, or by 13.4 percent.
We focused our program review on Indian gaming, both because it represents the most significant gaming activity in Wisconsin and because the State's revenues for Indian gaming will increase from $350,000 in FY 1996-97 to an expected $22.1 million in FY 1999-2000 as a result of renegotiated tribal gaming compacts.
Despite increases in the number of staff positions, we found that the number of field audits completed by the Office of Indian Gaming declined from 1996 through 1999. In addition, the Office has experienced backlogs in the processing of vendor certification applications. In part, these problems are the result of difficulties the Office has had in recruiting and retaining staff.
To improve its ability to monitor gaming activities, the Office plans to purchase a computerized system to monitor slot machine activity at casinos and will soon implement a new inventory system intended to maintain an up-to-date listing of gaming devices approved for use in Wisconsin casinos.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by the Department of Administration. The Department's response is the Appendix.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
December 13, 1999
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed a financial audit of the State Life Insurance Fund, which provides low-cost individual life insurance to Wisconsin residents and is administered by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. As of December 1, 1998, the fund had 31,033 life insurance policies in effect, and total life insurance in force of approximately 226 million. The Fund is subject to the same regulatory requirements as any life insurance company licensed to operate in Wisconsin, as well as to other specific statutory restrictions, such as a prohibition on advertising and maximum coverage to any insured person of $10,000.
Our financial audit, which covered calendar years 1998, 1997, and 1996, included tests to ensure that the Fund's regulatory-based financial statements are fairly presented and to assess the Fund's control policies and procedures and its compliance with statutory requirements. We found the regulatory-based financial statements to be fairly presented in accordance with insurance accounting practices prescribed by the Commissioner of Insurance.
Copies of the audit report have been distributed to members of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and those required by law to receive copies. If you are interested in receiving a copy of this report, please contact our office and request report number 99-20. The report is also available on our website
(www.legis.state.wi.us/lab).
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Department of Justice
December 7, 1999
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Section
165.90 of the Wisconsin Statutes requires the Department of Justice to report on the performance of cooperative county-tribal law enforcement programs receiving aid under this section. This letter constitutes our report.
The County-Tribal Law Enforcement Grant Program continues to help local law enforcement provide needed services in Indian communities. In addition, this program helps build a cooperative atmosphere and positive relationship between law enforcement and tribal governments and communities. Departmental staff is available to discuss this report and this important program.
Sincerely,
James E. Doyle
Attorney General
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
December 15, 1999
The Honorable, The Senate:
The following lobbyists have been authorized to act on behalf of the organizations set opposite their names.
For more detailed information about these lobbyists and organizations and a complete list of organizations and people authorized to lobby the 1999 session of the legislature, visit the Ethics Board's web site at
http://ethics.state.wi.us.
Marshall, Terry ATTIC Correctional Services, Inc
Taylor, Chad City of Waukesha
Also available from the Wisconsin Ethics Board are reports identifying the amount and value of time state agencies have spent to affect legislative action and reports of expenditures for lobbying activities filed by the organizations that employ lobbyists.
Sincerely,
Roth Judd
Director
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Relating to service rules for electric utilities.
Submitted by Public Service Commission.
Report received from Agency, December 10, 1999.
Referred to committee on Health, Utilities, Veterans and Military Affairs, December 15, 1999.
Relating to the preparation of sterile pharmaceuticals by pharmacists.
Submitted by Department of Regulation and Licensing.
Report received from Agency, December 13, 1999.
Referred to committee on Health, Utilities, Veterans and Military Affairs, December 15, 1999.
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The committee on Health, Utilities, Veterans and Military Affairs reports and recommends:
Relating to assignment of costs and opportunity sales.
