By
Senators
Risser, Clausing and Rosenzweig; cosponsored by Representatives Underheim, Bock, Notestein, Plache, Baldwin, Urban, Black, Boyle, R. Young, Morris-Tatum, Wasserman, Coggs, Bell, Turner, L. Young and La Fave
.
To committee on State Government Operations and Corrections.
Senate Bill 128
Relating to: the shining of wild animals on certain types of wild animal farms.
By
Senator
Cowles
; cosponsored by Representative Johnsrud
.
To committee on Environment and Energy.
The committee on Senate Organization reports and recommends:
In accordance with Joint Rule
81(2), it is moved that the Legislature extend the floor period convening on April 4, 1995, through April 8, 1995. The purpose of the extension is to consider any proposals pending before either house and scheduled pursuant to the rules of either the Senate or Assembly.
Ayes: (3) Senators Ellis, Rude and Farrow.
Noes: (1) Senator Jauch
Senator Michael Ellis, Chair
Committee on Assembly Organization:
Ayes: (5) Representatives Prosser, Green, Freese, Klusman and Jensen
Noes: (3) Representatives Kunicki, Schneider and Potter
Representative David Prosser, Chair
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Senator Michael Ellis
March 30, 1995
To the Honorable the Senate:
Pursuant to Senate Rule
20, I have made the following appointments to Senate Statutory Committees:
To the Environmental Education Board; Senator Brian Burke;
To the World Dairy Center Authority; Senator Charles Chvala;
To the Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse; Senator Robert Jauch.
With regards to members of the minority party, the appointments reflect recommendations of that caucus.
Sincerely,
Michael Ellis, Chair
Committee on Senate Organization
State of Wisconsin
Senator Scott Fitzgerald
March 22, 1995
To the Honorable the Senate:
It is with much regret that I ask to be removed from the Migrant Labor Council.
I am an active member of the Army Reserve. That, coupled with my other committee assignments, I believe that I would not serve the committee with the dedication and commitment that it deserves.
I thank you in advance for your prompt attention in this matter.
Sincerely,
Senator Scott Fitzgerald
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
March 28, 1995
To the Honorable the Senate:
At the direction of s.
13.685(7), Wisconsin Statutes, I am furnishing you with the names of organizations recently registered with the Ethics Board that employ one or more individuals to affect state legislation or administrative rules, and notifying you of changes in the Ethics Board's records of licensed lobbyists and their employers. For each recently registered organization I have included the organization's description of the general area of legislative or administrative action that it attempts to influence and the name of each licensed lobbyist that the organization has authorized to act on its behalf.
Organizations recently registered:
Below are the names of organizations recently registered with the Ethics Board as employing one or more individuals to affect state legislation or administrative rules.
A. O. Smith Corporation
Subjects: Some of the areas are: An increase in taxes, property tax relief, government spending cuts, tort reform, any unrealistic environmental legislation, and health care cost containment
Smith, Roger
American Red Cross, North Central Tissue Services
Subjects: We seek to accomplish a technical amendment to the Wisconsin Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, to bring it into conformance with the Statutes of all other states regarding qualifications of individuals who procure tissues.
Christianson, Peter
EDS Electronic Data Systems Corp.
Subjects: Any matter affecting the company in any way by any state agency or the legislature. Any matter related to health and insurance policies.
Broydrick, Bill
Richard, JoAnna
HLR Service Corp.
Subjects: Issues affecting the pharmaceutical, diagnostics, laboratory, testing, vitamins, fine chemical or research.
Luria, Cheryl
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
Subjects: Supports public policies and programs that help families have healthy babies. Health coverage for pregnant women and infants. Appropriate services with emphasis on prevention. Community based programs aimed at reducing infant death. WIC and other nutrition programs for pregnant women and children. Birth defects surveillance in WI.
Richardson, Amy
Marshfield Clinic
Subjects: Health, health care financing, insurance, taxation.
Farnsworth, Kathleen E.
Nycz, Gregory R.
Wenzel, Frederick J.
S144
Milsolv Corporation
Subjects: Legislation and administrative rules that involve the use and labeling of motor fuels in particular reformulated gasoline (RFC); issues that affect the establishment of a fuel ethanol industry in Wisconsin; issues that affect hazardous waste recycling and disposal. In addition we will be talking to the WDNR about rules governing groundwater contamination, air emissions and with legislators as they develop laws dealing with these issues.
Stitt, Donald
Frohboese, Walter
School Districts, Coalition of
Subjects: School funding, tax distribution and school law.
Christianson, Peter
South Central United Educators
Subjects: The primary focus is the capital K-12 education system, including funding structure and educational standards. Issues related to SCUE's members' welfare including wages, hours and general working conditions.
West, Karen
Organization's authorization of additional lobbyists:
The following organizations previously registered with the Ethics Board as employers of lobbyists have authorized to act on their behalf these additional licensed lobbyists:
Fire Chiefs Assn., Wisconsin State
Graven, Mara
Plumbers Local 75
Solie, Denise
Power and Light Co, Wisconsin
Helbach, David
Organization's termination of lobbyists:
Each of the following organizations previously registered with the Ethics Board as the employer of a lobbyist has withdrawn, on the date indicated, its authorization for the lobbyist identified to act on the organization's behalf.
Plumbers Local 75
Klauser, David 3/23/95
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,
R. Roth Judd
Executive Director
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
March 30, 1995
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of the Wisconsin Waterways Commission, as requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. The Commission provides funding for local government recreational boating projects on the Great Lakes and Wisconsin's inland waters.
Since fiscal year 1985-86, the Commission has provided $12.3 million in grants for inland lake projects and $12.9 million for Great Lakes projects, of which $7.6 million was for harbor projects in Racine, Kenosha, and Sheboygan. Questions have been raised about the Commission's role in the development of these project's including whether funds were spent on ineligible costs and whether the Commission's participation contributed to an oversupply of boat slips along the Lake Michigan shoreline and, by extension, increased property taxes in some communities.
Despite questions concerning the eligibility of these harbor projects, we found that all funds approved by the Commission for these projects were spent on eligible expenses. Although construction of berths, or marinas, is not an eligible cost, some believe that by funding even eligible expenses in these projects, such as brak water construction the Commission encouraged marina development while there is an apparent interrelationship between Commission-supported activities and marina development, this interrelationship is contemplated in the statutes that specifically designate harbor and breakwater improvements, which are often a prelude to marina development, as eligible expenses.
Overall, we believe the Commission has reasonably interpreted the statutes in defining the scope of its project review. If the Legislature believes the Commission needs to take a more authoritative role in assessing the need for, and feasibility of, local projects, the Legislature could direct the Commission to: 1) require information in feasibility studies regarding local government liability and risk; 2) evaluate the quality of feasibility studies; 3) conduct its own independent feasibility studies. An expansion of the Commission's responsibilities would require additional staff resources. Further, because of the potential of increasing balances in the Commission's appropriation, the Legislature may also wish to review the Commission's funding level.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by the commissioners, Department of Natural Resources staff, and local officials in Sheboygan, Racine and Kenosha. The Commission's response to the audit is Appendix IV.
Sincerely,
