Communications
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Reference Bureau
Madison
DATE: September 1, 2011
TO: Patrick E. Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
Robert Marchant
Senate Chief Clerk
FROM: Bruce J. Hoesly
Code Editor
SUBJECT: Rules published in the August 31, 2011
Wisconsin Administrative
Register, No. 668.
The following rules have been published:
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Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Groundwater Coordinating Council
Madison
August 30, 2011
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
This report summarizes and provides links to information on GCC and agency activities related to groundwater protection and management in FY 11 (July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011). The links also provide information on the condition of the groundwater resource. At the end of this report are the GCC's recommendations titled Directions for Future Groundwater Protection.
Highlights of the State's groundwater protection activities this past year include:
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• Research and monitoring contributing to our understanding of many groundwater issues including: nitrate, mercury methylation, biofuel cropping, antibiotics, climate change, water use, and fecal contamination.
• The Water Resources Library made considerable progress in providing full-text reports of UWS and DNR groundwater monitoring and research projects through the UW Ecology and Natural Resources Digital Collection.
We hope you will find this report to be a useful reference in protecting Wisconsin's valuable groundwater resource.
Sincerely,
Ken Johnson, Chair
Groundwater Coordinating Council
Referred to committee on Natural Resources.
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State of Wisconsin
Division of Energy Services
Madison
August 31, 2011
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
It is with pleasure that I forward the FY09 Annual Report for Wisconsin's Home Energy Plus Public Benefits Program. The Public Benefits Program was created in 1999 by Act 9 to preserve the benefits of energy efficiency, renewable energy and low-income energy assistance for the residents of Wisconsin. Since 2005, public benefits funding continues under Wisconsin Act 141, which allows the state to increase the number of households served. The segregated Public Benefits Fund, which supports the Home Energy Plus Programs, is funded by electric and natural gas utility ratepayers. Investor-owned utilities, participating municipal and cooperative utilities serve about 85 percent of the state's electricity customers.
Wisconsin's public benefits programs are administered by the Department of Administration, Division of Energy Services through the Home Energy Plus Program and encompass two distinct delivery areas. The Weatherization Assistance Program provides weatherization and conservation services, and the Home Energy Assistance Program provides bill payment assistance to resident households with incomes at or below 60 percent State Median Income.
Please take a few minutes to peruse this annual report. I am confident that you will find a comprehensive, productive Home Energy Plus Public Benefits Program. The State of Wisconsin can be justifiably proud of this achievement and the support from our partners and program providers.
Sincerely,
Barb Klugsieja
Bureau Director
Division of Energy Services
Referred to committee on Energy and Utilities.
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State of Wisconsin
Claims Board
Madison
September 1, 2011
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Enclosed is the report of the State Claims Board covering the claims heard on August 12, 2011.
Those claims approved for payment pursuant to the provisions of §
16.007 and
775.05 Stats., have been paid directly by the Board.
This report is for the information of the Legislature. The Board would appreciate your acceptance and publication of it in the Journal to inform the members of the Legislature.
Sincerely,
Gregory D. Murray
Secretary
Referred to committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs.
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
August 31, 2011
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
At the request of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, we have completed an evaluation of the Contract Sunshine Act, which requires all state agencies to report information about contracts, requests for bids and other competitive proposals, and purchase orders totaling $10,000 or more in a fiscal biennium to the Government Accountability Board (GAB) for posting on a publicly accessible Web site.
Only 12 state agencies reported information to GAB in fiscal year (FY) 2009-10, and 38 did so during the first four months of FY 2010-11. The posted information remains incomplete and is less than fully accurate because of limitations with the Web site's design, difficulties state agencies have had in compiling data for reporting at the level of detail required by the law, and confusion about which information must be reported. As a result, the Contract Sunshine Web site is of limited value in providing the public with clear, comprehensive, and useful information.
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In
2011 Wisconsin Act 32, the Legislature directed the Department of Administration (DOA) to establish a new publicly accessible Web site that will report all executive, legislative, and judicial branch expenditures for state operations exceeding $100. We include a recommendation that DOA report to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee in January 2012 on its efforts to implement that Web site. If it can be successfully implemented, the new Web site will surpass the Contract Sunshine Web site in scope and potential usefulness to the public, and the Legislature should then consider repealing the Contract Sunshine statutes. If the Legislature chooses to retain the Contract Sunshine statutes, we present several statutory modifications that would somewhat improve the Contract Sunshine Web site's usefulness to the public.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by GAB. Its response follows the appendices.
Respectfully submitted,
Joe Chrisman
Interim State Auditor
