Wednesday, June 4, 1997
Ninety-Third Regular Session
The Chief Clerk makes the following entries under the above date:
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Assembly substitute amendment 2 to Assembly Joint Resolution 52 offered by Representative Musser.
Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 261 offered by committee on Education.
Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 304 offered by committee on Education.
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Read first time and referred:
Assembly Resolution 6
Relating to: declaring June 7 to June 14, 1997, Wisconsin Homeownership Week.
By
Representatives Turner, J. Lehman and Ladwig, by request of Racine County Housing Authority
.
To committee on Rules.
Assembly Bill 400
Relating to: regulating residential telephone solicitation and providing a penalty.
By
Representatives Baumgart, Black, Gronemus, Gunderson, Hasenohrl, Kelso, Murat, Notestein and R. Young.
To committee on Consumer Affairs
.
Assembly Bill 401
Relating to: seizure of motor vehicles.
By
Representative
Baumgart
, by request of Mr. Daniel Merkel, Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
To committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections
.
Assembly Bill 402
Relating to: the counties and municipalities that may participate in negotiation and arbitration concerning a proposed landfill or hazardous waste facility.
By
Representatives Gunderson, Albers, Wood, Ainsworth, Turner, Dobyns, Urban, Staskunas, Ott, Baumgart, Lazich, Goetsch, Grothman, Nass, Robson and Sykora; cosponsored by Senators Adelman, Huelsman and Farrow.
To committee on Natural Resources
.
Assembly Bill 403
Relating to: specifying that Prader-Willi syndrome is a developmental disability.
By
Representatives Brandemuehl, Bock, Skindrud, Wasserman, Huber, Lorge, Robson, Hanson, Sykora, Plouff, Notestein, J. Lehman, R. Young and Boyle; cosponsored by Senators Wineke, Rude, Schultz and Grobschmidt.
To committee on Health.
Assembly Bill 404
Relating to: requiring physicians to report injuries to, and deaths of, minors that they suspect are caused by articles intended for use by minors and requiring the secretary of agriculture, trade and consumer protection to publicize dangers created by such articles.
By
Representatives Springer, Ott, Ourada, Huber, Ryba, Riley, Bock, Plale, R. Young, Notestein, Boyle, L. Young, Robson, Hasenohrl, Sykora, Kelso and Plouff; cosponsored by Senators Decker, Clausing, Wirch and Roessler.
To committee on Consumer Affairs
.
Assembly Bill 405
Relating to: permitting persons who have their operating privilege suspended or revoked to operate a motor vehicle and providing penalties.
By
Representatives Black, Albers, Notestein, La Fave, Ott and Otte; cosponsored by Senator Roessler
.
To committee on Highways and Transportation
.
Assembly Bill 406
Relating to: reducing counter service fees collected by the department of transportation.
By
Representatives Black, Cullen, Springer, Bock, Reynolds, Grothman, Coggs and Plouff; cosponsored by Senator Risser
.
To committee on Highways and Transportation
.
Assembly Bill 407
Relating to: political contributions made or solicited by lobbyists, principals or former lobbyists to or for the benefit of certain state officials or candidates, service by lobbyists or former lobbyists as officers or directors of political committees and providing a penalty.
By
Representatives Black, Baumgart, R. Young and Bock.
To committee on Elections and Constitutional Law
.
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State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
May 27, 1997
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
As a final product of our audit of the Department of Transportation, we have completed an evaluation of the General Transportation Aid program. In calendar year 1997, this program will provide state transportation aid totaling $292.9 million, including $222.3 million to Wisconsin's 1,850 municipalities and $70.6 million to 72 counties. However, local representatives have sought increases in general transportation aid ranging from $33 million to $183.9 million annually, primarily to address a backlog of local rehabilitation needs and to provide property tax relief.
Department records indicate that 72.2 percent of local aidable costs can be attributed to local road maintenance and construction activities—including rehabilitation of existing roads and construction of new ones. Police spending accounted for 27.3 percent of aidable costs, while other local costs and revenues combined for the remaining 0.5 percent.
We found that cost categories aidable under the general transportation aid formula could be modified if the State pursues a policy of increased emphasis on maintenance and rehabilitation of existing roads. If additional funding is made available in the 1997-99 budget, it could be distributed using the formula or through the Local Roads Improvement Program, which reimburses up to 50 percent of the cost of improvement projects on existing local roads expected to last ten years or more.
In addition, we found that 361 communities that in 1995 collected $16.8 million in special assessments for road projects also will receive $3.2 million in general transportation aid based on the same costs.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by staff of the departments of Transportation and Revenue, and many local officials. The Department of Transportation has chosen not to attach a response to this report.
