Tuesday, July 22, 1997
10:00 A.M.
Ninety-Third Regular Session
The Senate met.
The Senate was called to order by Senator Fred Risser.
The Chair, with unanimous consent, asked that the proper entries be made in the journal.
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Read and referred:
Senate Joint Resolution 29
Relating to: the life and public service of Arthur Lenroot.
By
Senator
Jauch
; cosponsored by Representative Boyle
.
To committee on Senate Organization.
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Read first time and referred:
Senate Bill 263
Relating to: the hunter education and safety program and hunting approvals issued to bow hunters.
By
Senator
Clausing
; cosponsored by Representatives Johnsrud, Plouff, Freese, Ainsworth, Musser, Powers, Hasenohrl, Brandemuehl, J. Lehman, M. Lehman, Goetsch, Skindrud, Kedzie, Sykora, Jeskewitz, Green, Harsdorf and Porter.
To committee on Agriculture and Environmental Resources.
Senate Bill 264
Relating to: unborn children who are at substantial risk of serious physical injury due to the habitual lack of self-control of their expectant mothers in the use of alcohol beverages, controlled substances or controlled substance analogs, exhibited to a severe degree.
By
Senators
Huelsman, Darling, Grobschmidt, Fitzgerald, Farrow, Cowles, Drzewiecki and Roessler; cosponsored by Representatives Ladwig, Plale, Jensen, Huebsch, Albers, Dobyns, Duff, Freese, Gard, Goetsch, Gunderson, Handrick, Kelso, F. Lasee, Lazich, Nass, Olsen, Ott, Owens, Porter, Schafer, Staskunas, Sykora, Ward and Ziegelbauer.
To committee on Judiciary, Campaign Finance Reform and Consumer Affairs.
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Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District
July 17, 1997
The Honorable, The Legislature:
I'm pleased to present the Miller Park monthly progress report for the month of June 1997 for your review and consideration. As always, we have forwarded copies of the progress report to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Construction Manager, the Wisconsin State Legislature and the Governor's office. In addition, we are continuing the practice of making black and white copies available (at reduced cost) to other interested parties through the District's open records policy.
We continue to strive toward our ultimate "four-for-four" objective for Miller Park - delivering a quality ball park, on time, within budget, and with a successful project participation program. I'm pleased to report that we are on target in all four aspects of our challenging objectives. Please feel free to contact me if you should have any questions or comments regarding the enclosed progress report.
Sincerely,
Michael R. Duckett, P.E., R.L.S.
Executive Director
State of Wisconsin
Department of Commerce
July 15, 1997
The Honorable, The Senate:
As stated in ss 227.485(9), each state agency is required to notify the legislature of claims in which attorney's fees have been paid. On behalf of Secretary William J. McCoshen, I am submitting this information for the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.
During FY97, there was one case in which attorney's fees were judged against the Department of Commerce. This was a PECFA claim sent for judicial review. Tack Oil (Case #94-CV-545). The petitioner was awarded $5,090.60. The date of the order was January 10, 1996.
Please feel free to contact me with any further questions. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Christopher C. Mohrman
Executive Assistant
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
July 18, 1997
The Honorable, The Legislature:
S231
We have completed an evaluation of the Children At Risk program, as directed by s.
118.153(6), Wis. Stats. Created in 1985, the program is intended to increase the number of students attaining high school diplomas by improving services to those at risk of failing in, or dropping out of, school. The program, which is administered by the Department of Public Instruction, has been appropriated $3.5 million in general purpose revenue for each fiscal year since 1990-91.
As a result of changes made by
1993 Wisconsin Act 16, the program has lost its statewide focus. Since the 1993-94 school year, only those school districts that apply for program aid are required to provide a program for at-risk students; no more than 19 districts were deemed eligible to apply for program funding in any given year because of stricter eligibility requirements; and one district—Milwaukee Public Schools—has received two-thirds of the $8.6 million distributed during the past three school years.
Within those districts that have received funds for each school year since 1993-94, it is difficult to generalize as to whether the program has had any effect. It may not, however, be reasonable to expect a connection between student performance and the program. Consequently, the program appears to have become little more than a means of passing state general purpose revenues through to a limited number of school districts.
In reviewing the delivery of programs, we found that Milwaukee Public Schools is the only district that contracts with private, nonprofit, nonsectarian education agencies, called partnership schools, to provide at-risk programs. A larger percentage of at-risk students enrolled in the partnership schools meet the State's performance criteria under the Children At Risk program than do at-risk students enrolled in programs administered directly by the district.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by department and school district staff. The Department of Public Instruction's response is the Appendix.
Sincerely,
Dale Cattanach
State Auditor
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The committee on Economic Development, Housing and Government Operations reports and recommends:
