Ayes, 7 - Senators Moen, Breske, Moore, Wirch, Roessler, Rosenzweig and Fitzgerald.
Noes, 0 - None.
Rodney Moen
Chairperson
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources
September 2, 1997
The Honorable, The Legislature:
In 1997 Assembly Bill 61 (Wisconsin Act 1), the Department of Natural Resources was directed to, before September 1, 1997, submit a report that analyzes options for increased integration of private fish hatchery operations in the state fish stocking program, to the governor, to the joint committee on finance, and to the chief clerk of each house, for distribution to the appropriate standing committees.
This constitutes our response to the mandate contained in Wisconsin Act 1.
Sincerely,
george meyer
Secretary
Referred to the committee on Agriculture and Environmental Resources
State of Wisconsin
Office of Justice Assistance
July 28, 1997
The Honorable, The Legislature:
As the Chair of the Governor's Juvenile Justice Commission and Executive Director of the Office of Justice Assistance, we are pleased to submit the attached Progress Report that describes the calendar year 1996 occurrences and activities that were associated with the Commission's administration of Wisconsin's 1994-1996 Juvenile Justice Plan. Highlights include the following:
* Federal Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) subgrants were awarded to more than 20 projects, including non-secure alternatives to detention, early intervention services, serious/violent offender services, and juvenile justice system improvements.
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* The number of secure detention beds statewide increased from 362 to 500 beds. The new detention centers in Milwaukee and Racine Counties, which began operation in 1996, were the primary contributors to this increase.
* Despite the increased number of detention beds, counties throughout Wisconsin, particularly in the northern and western regions, continued to experience difficulty procuring bedspace, especially on Fridays and weekends. This evidences a continuing need for additional beds in those regions.
*The number of out-of-compliance jail detentions continued to remain very low, enabling Wisconsin to maintain compliance with the juvenile jail removal provisions under the federal JJDPA.
* In July 1996, the Governor's Juvenile Justice Commission approved the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Study which examined juvenile justice decisionmaking within five counties to determine what factors contributed to the overrepresentation of minority youth within those juvenile justice systems. The results and recommendations from the Study were incorporated into the Commission's action plan for reducing minority overrepresentation.
* Nine local units of government received Title V Delinquency Prevention Act funds to implement programs and services pursuant to local delinquency prevention plans. Also, Challenge Activities Program Grant funds were awarded to implement intensive supervision programs in 6 -10 counties, provide aftercare services for "graduates" of the juvenile bootcamp program, and to develop transitional education programs and mental health services for juveniles returning to their communities after completing correctional placements.
* The Office of Justice Assistance collaborated with other state agencies and technical colleges in organizing and holding five regional focus groups designed to explore problems and needs in the criminal justice, juvenile justice and alcohol/drug abuse prevention systems. One-hundred fifty-eight local practitioners from around the state participated in these focus groups, providing the State with valuable information concerning system needs.
The Commission and Office of Justice Assistance are proud of the accomplishments of numerous local and state juvenile justice and law enforcement agencies, as well as the other parties affiliated with the many community-based planning efforts. We look forward to continuing to provide funding for effective and diverse programs. The Commission will continue its efforts to promote early intervention services for children committing minor offences, address serious and violent offender needs, and meet the demand for secure and nonsecure detention services.
Sincerely,
kathleen m. arthur,chair
Governor's Juvenile Justice Commission
State of Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
August 27, 1997
The Honorable, The Senate:
1991 Wisconsin Act 273 created section 1.11(2)(j), Wis. Stats., which requires the submittal of an annual report to the chief clerk of each house of the Legislature by September 15 regarding the preparation of environmental assessments and environmental impact statements.
I am submitting the attached reports prepared by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection for both fiscal year 1996 and fiscal year 1997 to comply with this requirement.
Please contact Buzz Davis of my staff at 224-4593 if there are any questions regarding the report.
Sincerely,
joseph e. tregoning
Acting Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
August 22, 1997
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to submit the 128th Wisconsin Insurance Report (Report). The Report provides information in the operations of both the Wisconsin insurance industry and the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI).
Numerous accomplishments were achieved over the past year: here are just a few highlights:
* Announced a record-setting settlement with Prudential Insurance Company of America for improper sales and marketing practices in the life insurance industry:
* Expanded OCI's urban outreach project to include:
* A summer intern project
* Providing training to consumer groups in cooperation with the Community Insurance Information Center
* Conducting urban outreach meetings with insurers and community groups
* Developed quarterly financial statement summaries and enhanced the financial information of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) available on OCI's Web site on the Internet;
* Implemented amendments to administrative rules on allowing the sale of tax-qualified long-term care insurance policies sold in Wisconsin, permitting investments for town mutual insurers; creating a network of providers for the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan; adopting supplemental risk-based capital and surplus requirements; and establishing fees for the Patients Compensation Fund;
* Implemented a health plan performance measures demonstration projection.
I hope this information is useful to you and your constituents. If you have any questions or comments about the material, do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
josephine W. Musser
Commissioner of Insurance
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
September 2, 1997
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.
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Organization's authorization of additional lobbyists:
The following organizations previously registered with the Ethics Board have authorized to act on their behalf these additional licensed lobbyists:
Education Assn Council, Wisconsin
Krahn, Don
Fair Competition, Wisconsin Coalition for
Wiley, Lawrence A
Termination of lobbying authorizations:
The following individuals are no longer authorized to lobby on behalf of the organizations listed below, as of the dates indicated.
Philip Morris Incorporated
Czerwinski, Joseph 8/29/97
Sicula, Paul 8/29/97
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
Claims Board
September 3, 1997
The Honorable, The Senate:
Enclosed is the report of the State Claims Board covering the claims heard on August 14, 1997.
The amounts recommended for payment under $5,000 on claims included in this report have, under the provisions of s.
16.007, Stats., been paid directly by the Board.
The Board is preparing the bill(s) on the recommended award(s) over $5,000, if any, and will submit such to the Joint Finance Committee for legislative introduction.
This report is for the information of the Legislature. The Board would appreciate your acceptance and spreading of it upon the Journal to inform the members of the Legislature.
Sincerely,
