Noes: 2 - Representatives Hebl and Staskunas.
To committee on Rules.
Sheryl Albers
Chairperson
Committee on Property Rights and Land Management
The committee on Ways and Means reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 482
Relating to: appealing a determination by the board of assessors, claiming angel and early stage investment tax credits, employers who must withhold state income taxes, benefits to persons serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, eliminating the requirement that the Department of Revenue audit the records of contractors who perform emissions inspections, the liability of married persons filing a joint income tax return, the payment of the alternate fuel tax and the tobacco products tax, estate tax interest, qualified retirement systems, reducing nondelinquent taxes, extending the time for filing a tax reconciliation report, delivering tax-related documents and related payments, appeal of redetermination of earned income tax credits, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty.
Assembly Amendment 1 to Assembly Amendment 1 adoption:
Ayes: 12 - Representatives Wood, Nass, Hahn, Jeskewitz, Lothian, Strachota, Pridemore, Berceau, Ziegelbauer, Toles, Hebl and Fields.
Noes: 0.
Assembly Amendment 1 adoption:
Ayes: 12 - Representatives Wood, Nass, Hahn, Jeskewitz, Lothian, Strachota, Pridemore, Berceau, Ziegelbauer, Toles, Hebl and Fields.
Noes: 0.
Assembly Amendment 2 adoption:
Ayes: 12 - Representatives Wood, Nass, Hahn, Jeskewitz, Lothian, Strachota, Pridemore, Berceau, Ziegelbauer, Toles, Hebl and Fields.
Noes: 0.
Passage as amended:
Ayes: 12 - Representatives Wood, Nass, Hahn, Jeskewitz, Lothian, Strachota, Pridemore, Berceau, Ziegelbauer, Toles, Hebl and Fields.
Noes: 0.
To committee on Rules.
Jeffrey Wood
Chairperson
Committee on Ways and Means
From: Robert J. Marchant, Senate Chief Clerk.
Mr. Speaker:
A474
I am directed to inform you that the Senate has
Passed and asks concurrence in:
Senate Bill 266
__________________
Senate Bill 266
Relating to: the prohibition against underage persons entering or being on any premises operating under an alcohol beverage license.
By
Senators
S. Fitzgerald, A. Lasee, Plale, Grothman and Breske; cosponsored by Representatives Kleefisch, J. Fitzgerald, Shilling, Musser, Gronemus, Albers and Vos.
To committee on Rules.
__________________
Communications
September 21, 2005
Patrick Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
17 West Main Street, Suite 208
Madison, WI 53703
Dear Mr. Fuller:
As you are aware, both Representative Kerkman and I were absent from session on September 20, 2005 on maternity leave. Due to a mistake on the Assembly floor, my vote was paired with Representative Kerkman on Item Veto C-4, relating to a nursing home rate increase under medical assistance.
As a clarification, I did not authorize my vote to be paired on Item Veto C-4, nor any other Veto Items on the September 20 calendar. The action occurred due to an apparent miscommunication between the leadership of both caucuses.
I respectfully request that the Assembly Journal be amended to reflect that I did not pair my vote on Item Veto C-4. I also ask that any allowable action be taken to remove the pair from all other records maintained in the Assembly.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Shilling
State Representative
95th Assembly District
__________________
September 22, 2005
Patrick Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
17 W. Main Street, Suite 208
Madison, WI 53708
Dear Mr. Fuller:
Please add me as a co-sponsor of Assembly Bill 683.
Sincerely,
barb gronemus
State Representative
91st Assembly District
__________________
Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
September 21, 2005
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
We have completed financial audits of Mendota and Winnebago Mental Health Institutes for the period July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004. The audits were requested by the Department of Health and Family Services to comply with requirements of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. We were able to express an unqualified opinion on each Institute's financial statements.
Mendota and Winnebago Mental Health Institutes are licensed and accredited hospitals that provide specialized diagnostic, evaluation, and treatment services for mentally ill children and adults. The Institutes also provide services to forensic patients referred to them through the criminal justice system. The Institutes are funded through a mix of general purpose revenue and program revenue. Each has experienced a decline in average daily population from fiscal year (FY) 2001-02 through FY 2003-04.
Each Institute reported a small financial gain for FY 2003-04. Mendota reported a gain of almost $90,000 in net assets, and Winnebago reported a gain of more than $54,000. Further, each Institute reported a positive accounting balance, which is reflected in its financial statements as unrestricted net assets.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by Department of Health and Family Services staff during our audit.
Respectfully submitted,
janice mueller
State Auditor
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
September 22, 2005
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
A475
As requested by the Public Service Commission (PSC), we have completed a financial audit of the Universal Service Fund, which was established to ensure that all state residents receive essential telecommunications services and have access to advanced telecommunications capabilities. It is funded primarily through assessments on telecommunications providers, which totaled $25.5 million in fiscal year (FY) 2003-04. Our audit report contains our unqualified opinion on the Universal Service Fund's financial statements for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2003 and 2004.
The largest program supported by the Universal Service Fund is the Educational Telecommunications Access Program, which is administered by the Department of Administration. This program subsidizes new and existing data lines and video links to eligible educational institutions. In FY 2003-04, expenditures for these activities totaled $12.7 million, or 54.2 percent of the Universal Service Fund's total expenditures and transfers. In January 2006, a new statewide data and video network is expected to be available to program participants, as well as to the State and other public-sector users.
Eight of the 13 programs supported by the Universal Service Fund are operated by the PSC. As we reported in past audits, expenditures for PSC-operated programs were significantly less than budgeted for several years. The Legislature subsequently limited the amount of assessments to support the PSC-operated programs to $5.0 million in FY 2003-04 and $6.0 million in FY 2004-05 and thereafter. However, increasing expenditures are now presenting budgetary challenges for these programs. In response, the PSC reduced benefits and deferred certain payment requests to subsequent fiscal years. If the growth in program demand and expenditures continues, the Legislature may be asked to reconsider the statutory limits on the PSC's annual assessment levels.
Funds are transferred annually to the Department of Public Instruction for the Newsline program, which provides sight-impaired individuals access to newspapers read over the telephone. We found that a balance of almost $165,000 has accumulated for the program. The PSC does not plan to provide additional funds to the program until the balance has been substantially reduced.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by staff at the PSC, the departments of Administration and Public Instruction, and the Universal Service Fund's administrator, Wipfli LLP.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice mueller
