Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
RUSS DECKER
Senator Majority Leader
State of Wisconsin
Senate Majority Leader
June
4
, 2008
The Honorable, The Senate:
Pursuant to Senate Rule
20 and with consultation from the Senate Minority Leader, I am apointing Senator Sheila Harsdorf to the Mississippi River Parkway Commission.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
RUSS DECKER
Senator Majority Leader
State of Wisconsin
Department of Transportation
May 9, 2008
The Honorable, The Legislature:
2007 Wisconsin Act 20, Section
9148 (4c), directs the Department of Transportation to conduct a study of alternative program models for the vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program.
The enclosed report summarizes alternatives for:
• organizational structures feasible for vehicle emissions inspection maintenance programs.
• methods available to capturing and transmitting data from vehicle on-board computers.
• tools available for collecting data from vehicle on-board computers.
The report is submitted for your distribution to the Assembly Committee on Transportation and the Senate Committee on Transportation and Tourism.
Staff from the Division of Motor Vehicle is available to answer questions about the enclosed paper. Please contact Anna Biermeier, Director of the Bureau of Vehicle Services, at (608) 267-5121 or
anna.beirmeier@dot.state.wi.us.
Sincerely,
Frank J. Busalacchi
Secretary
Referred to committee on Transportation and Tourism.
State of Wisconsin
Government Accountability Board
May 29, 2008
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Yesterday, the Government Accountability Board received notice that we had won a nationwide competitive grant from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to improve the reporting of election data for elections. We are pleased to provide you with a brief summary of the benefits this grant will bring to election administration in Wisconsin, and the nation.
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Ten states applied for five grants of $2 million each, and Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania were funded. The purpose of the federal grant is two-fold: To “enhance the capacity of states and their jurisdictions to collect accurate and complete election data," according to the EAC, and “to develop a model elections data collection protocol."
Fulfillment of the grant will include the development of new procedures, systems and methodologies for election data collection. As part of our compliance with the grant requirements, Wisconsin will report to the EAC in March 2009, with data collected from the November 4, 2008 election, to be used in their required June 2009 report to Congress.
As you are aware, Wisconsin has one of the most decentralized systems of election administration in the country. Therefore, our state is in a unique position to offer suggestions for best practices and procedures that will benefit election data collection here at home and throughout the nation. Collection of Wisconsin election data at the ward level already occurs to a significant degree. This new $2 million dollar project will fortify local election officials' collection and reporting efforts.
To summarize, this grant will significantly enhance Wisconsin's ability to:
• Assist county and local clerks to improve analysis and reporting of local election data;
• Collect and record better - and more complete - statewide election data;
• Receive and report in a more timely manner accurate, statewide election data;
• Provide the EAC with a reliable model of data collection that can be replicated by other states
• Continue to serve as a national leader in election administrations practices and information
Attached to this memo is our news release of yesterday afternoon. We will be happy to provide you with more information. Please contact me if you have questions about the EAC grant, our plans to improve election data collection in the state, or our preparedness for the fall elections.
Sincerely,
kevin j. kennedy
Director and General Counsel
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
May 30, 2008
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of the food and dairy safety program administered by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). This report focuses on the effectiveness of DATCP's regulatory activities and follows our January 2008 review of the program's funding. The program's expenditures totaled $8.4 million in fiscal year (FY) 2006-07and supported 97.6 full-time equivalent positions.
From FY 2004-05 through FY 2006-07, DATCP completed 79,743 routine inspections of food and dairy establishments. During this period, 98.7 percent of completed dairy inspections and 68.3 percent of completed food inspections were conducted when scheduled. DATCP has not developed formal inspection frequency standards for food establishments, which partially explains why a smaller percentage of food inspections were completed as scheduled.
While its approach to compliance appears effective in most cases, we found that DATCP is at times ineffective in gaining timely and continued compliance when follow-up is required after an inspection. In a review of 50 cases that suggested significant noncompliance with food and dairy safety regulations, we identified 13 in which DATCP did not take timely and sufficient enforcement action to ensure "permanent and continuous" compliance with food and dairy safety regulations.
In addition, we identified concerns with DATCP's oversight of contracts with local health departments that regulate retail food establishments, and with its documentation of food emergencies. We include several recommendations to improve program management and enhance food and dairy safety enforcement activities.
We appreciate the cooperation extended to us by DATCP in conducting this evaluation. A response from DATCP follows the appendices.
Respectfully submitted,
janice mueller
State Auditor
__________________
The committee on Education reports and recommends:
Relating to grants for nursing services.
No action taken.
John Lehman
Chairperson
__________________
Motions Under Senate Rule 98 and Joint Rule 7
for the Month of April 2008
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Cowles, for Olivia Ambrosius, on the occasion of earning and attaining the Girl Scout Gold Award.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Hansen, for Kenneth L. Arbour, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Legislature on the motion of Senator Roessler, for Ardy and Ed's Drive In, on the occasion of celebrating 60 years in service and being awarded the 2008 Restaurateur of the Year Award.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Hansen, for Eric James Badtke, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Risser, for Jon Bechler, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Schultz, for Albert and Eileen Bigalke, on the occasion of being named the Town of Clearfield's 2008 Citizens of the Year.
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A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Cowles, for Ryan Birdsall, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Hansen, for Ryan Birdsall, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Grothman, for Ashley Rachel Bley, on the occasion of earning and attaining the Girl Scout Gold Award.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Ellis, for Steven Boldt, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Erpenbach, for Jonathan Cline, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Taylor, for Bailey Coleman, on the occasion of her 15 years of service to the Greater Milwaukee community through her work at WKKV-V100.7 Radio.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Cowles, for Bob and Marge Coonen, on the occasion of being named 2008 Seymour Outstanding Citizens of the Year.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Lazich, for Joseph W. Coughlin, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Legislature on the motion of Senator Ellis, for Michael Cupp, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Grothman, for Laura Jane Dean, on the occasion of earning and attaining the Girl Scout Gold Award.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Grothman, for John Johnson Dindia, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Erpenbach, for the Eager Free Public Library, on the occasion of their 100th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Legislature on the motion of Senator Sullivan, for Mayor Theresa Estness, on the occasion of years of dedicated service city of Wauwatosa and Wisconsin.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Vinehout, for Christopher Flores, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Darling, for Richard E. Goehre, on the occasion of receiving the Brown Deer Senior Citizen Club's Citizen of the Year Award.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Schultz, for the Greater Mauston Area Development Corporation, on the occasion of 45 years of contributions to bettering the Mauston well being of all its community members.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Grothman, for Erik Anders Grehn, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Breske, for Nick Hager, on the occasion of being the 2008 WIAA State Wrestling Division 2, 140 pound Champion.
