Budget Change Items
1. STANDARD BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS
GPR $749,000
Governor: Provide $374,500 annually for the following: (a) full funding of salaries and fringe benefits ($369,200 annually); (b) full funding of financial services charges ($800 annually); and (c) fifth week vacation as cash ($4,500 annually). Full funding of salaries and fringe benefits includes judge and attorney pay increases not reflected in the adjusted base.
2. REPEAL OF AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPROPRIATION
PR - $20,800
Governor: Delete $10,400 annually and repeal the program revenue appropriation for the Court of Appeals automated information systems. The automated information systems appropriation for the Court of Appeals was created in 1997 Act 27 to fund information technology initiatives from program revenues from certain court fees deposited to the Circuit Court Automation Program (CCAP). Court officials indicate that program revenues are insufficient to support this appropriation and the expenditure authority is, therefore, not being used. The Court of Appeals' information technology initiatives are funded through the Court's sum sufficient GPR appropriation. A technical correction to the CCAP appropriation is needed to properly reflect this repeal.
[Bill Sections: 600 and 605]
DISTRICT ATTORNEYS
Budget Change Items
1. STANDARD BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS
Funding Positions
GPR $196,400 - 2.00
PR 521,800 - 13.00
Total $718,200 - 15.00
Governor: Provide $98,200 GPR and -2.0 GPR positions annually and $309,100 PR and -12.0 PR positions in 1999-00 and $212,700 PR and -13.0 PR positions in 2000-01 for the following: (a) remove non-continuing elements (-$100,900 GPR and -2.0 GPR positions annually and -12.0 PR positions in 1999-00 and -$96,400 PR and -13.0 PR positions in 2000-01); (b) full funding of continuing salaries and fringe benefits ($75,500 GPR annually and $308,800 PR annually); (c) full funding of financial services charges ($2,300 GPR annually and $300 PR annually); (d) night and weekend differential ($56,500 GPR annually); and (e) fifth week vacation as cash ($64,600 GPR annually). The 15.0 positions removed as non-continuing elements include: (a) 2.0 GPR assistant district attorney (ADA) positions for sexually violent person commitments that terminate on June 30, 1999; (b) 2.0 PR Milwaukee County child welfare ADA positions funded by the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) that end on June 30, 1999; (c) 7.0 PR positions funded by the federal Violence Against Women Act (2.0 positions in Dane County, 4.0 positions in Milwaukee County and 1.0 position in Kenosha County), all of which end by June 30, 1999; (d) 2.0 PR ADA anti-drug positions funded through the Office of Justice Assistance that terminate in January, 2000; (e) 1.0 PR statutory rape ADA position funded by DHFS that terminates on June 30, 2000; and (f) 1.0 PR technical deletion.
2. PROSECUTORS FOR SEXUALLY VIOLENT PERSON COMMITMENT CASES
Funding Positions
GPR $305,000 2.00
Governor: Provide $152,500 and 2.0 positions annually to make permanent two assistant district attorney project positions, one in Brown County and the other in Milwaukee County, which prosecute cases under the sexually violent person commitment law (Chapter 980). These positions, created in 1997 Act 27, terminate on June 30, 1999. (Funding and position authority for the project positions are deleted as noncontinuing elements under the standard budget adjustments.) Under the bill, the positions would statutorily be required to prosecute sexually violent person commitment proceedings exclusively. These positions would be authorized, by statute, to file and prosecute these cases in any county throughout the state. The bill also requires district attorneys to maintain records of the time spent on Chapter 980 prosecutions, and to submit an annual report to the Department of Administration summarizing those records. DOA would be required to maintain this information. The recordkeeping and reporting requirements would sunset on July 1, 2001.
[Bill Sections: 3208 thru 3211 and 9101(4)]
3. CHILD WELFARE POSITIONS
Funding Positions
PR $357,800 2.00
Governor: Provide $178,900 and 2.0 positions annually to make permanent two assistant district attorney project positions in Milwaukee County which prosecute Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) cases and assist child welfare efforts to permanently place children in new homes. The project positions were created three years ago and will terminate on June 30, 1999. (Position authority for the project positions is deleted as a noncontinuing element under the standard budget adjustments. Funding for the positions is not a part of the agency's base and therefore is not deleted as part of the standard budget adjustments.) The Department of Health and Family Services, which funds the positions, expects funding to continue through the next biennium.
4. ANTI-DRUG PROSECUTOR IN OUTAGAMIE COUNTY
Funding Positions
PR $162,000 1.00
Governor: Provide $81,000 and 1.0 position annually to make permanent the drug prosecutor position serving the Multijurisdictional Enforcement Group (MEG unit) of Calumet, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, and Winnebago counties. While serving all four counties, the position is assigned to Outagamie County. (Position authority for the project position is deleted as a noncontinuing element under the standard budget adjustments. Funding for the position is not part of the agency's base and therefore, is not deleted as part of the standard budget adjustments.) MEG units are funded with federal Byrne anti-drug money and state matching penalty assessment funds, administered by the Office of Justice Assistance, to develop effective anti-drug law enforcement strategies based on cooperative agreements between law enforcement jurisdictions. While the Governor's recommendation would provide a permanent position and expenditure authority, the decision to use MEG funds for this position remains with the MEG.
5. MILWAUKEE COUNTY DRUG AND VIOLENT CRIME CLERKS
PR $15,100
Governor: Provide $5,000 in 1999-00 and $10,100 in 2000-01 for increased reimbursement to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office for the salary and fringe benefit costs of the 4.5 clerks who provide clerical services to prosecutors handling cases in the speedy drug courts and speedy violent crime court. In addition, increase the statutory limits on the amounts reimbursed to Milwaukee County for the cost of these clerks from $164,600 in 1998-99 to $169,600 in 1999-00 and $174,700 in 2000-01. Funding for the clerks comes from a $2 special prosecution fee assessed on forfeiture judgments and various other civil court actions in Milwaukee County.
[Bill Sections: 3212 and 3213]
6. CONTINUED FUNDING FOR ANTI-DRUG PROSECUTORS IN DANE AND MILWAUKEE COUNTIES
Governor: Direct the Office of Justice Assistance to provide $346,600 in 1999-00 and $359,100 in 2000-01 in federal Byrne anti-drug funding and state matching penalty assessment funds to the Multijurisdictional Enforcement Groups (MEG units) in Dane and Milwaukee counties in order to continue to fund four assistant district attorney (ADA) positions which prosecute drug-related crimes. The Dane County MEG would be provided $83,600 in 1999-00 and $87,800 in 2000-01 to fund one position, and the Milwaukee County MEG would be provided $263,000 in 1999-00 and $271,300 in 2000-01 to fund three positions. These four positions are funded through non-competitive grants awarded to Milwaukee and Dane counties by the Department of Administration's Office of Justice Assistance. Funding and position authority for these positions are in the agency's base budget.
[Bill Sections: 9101(2) and 9101(3)]
7. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Governor: Provide funding under the Department of Administration's Bureau of Justice Information Systems (BJIS) for district attorney information technology in all 71 district attorney offices. Since 1996-97, BJIS has provided DA offices with personal computers and related hardware, software applications and user training. Funding was also provided under 1997 Act 27 (the 1997-99 budget act) for: (a) DA access to the TIME system, WisLaw and Lexis; (b) installation of local area networks (LANs) in some counties; and (c) the initial development of a District Attorney case management system. The Governor's recommendation would: (a) complete county LANs for all remaining DA offices and provide connections between DA LANs; (b) complete the case management system development; and (c) provide funding for installation and equipment costs and ongoing support and maintenance. With base funding, $6,080,000 annually would be provided in 1999-01. [See "Administration -- Bureau of Justice Information Systems."]
EDUCATIONAL BROADCASTING CORPORATION
Budget Change Items
1. EDUCATIONAL BROADCASTING CORPORATION
GPR $100,000
Governor: Restructure public broadcasting in the State of Wisconsin as follows:
Creation of a Nonstock Educational Broadcasting Corporation
Provide that the Secretary of the Department of Administration (DOA), the President of the University of Wisconsin (UW) System and one individual chosen by the Governor would be required to draft and file articles of incorporation for a nonstock corporation with the Department of Financial Institutions under state law, and would be required to take all actions necessary to exempt the corporation from federal taxation as a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
State Aid for Initial Costs. Provide $50,000 annually for the initial administrative costs of the proposed Corporation in an annual, GPR appropriation created for this purpose. Provide that the proposed Educational Broadcasting Corporation may receive state aid for initial costs if all of the following conditions would be satisfied:
1. The articles of incorporation state that the purpose of the Corporation would be to provide educational broadcasting to this state and that, if the corporation would dissolve or discontinue educational broadcasting in this state, the corporation would be required in good faith to take all reasonable measures to transfer or assign the corporation's assets, licenses and rights to an entity whose purpose is to advance educational broadcasting in this state.
2. The articles of incorporation would name as initial directors of the Corporation: (a) the Secretary of DOA; (b) two members of the Assembly and two Senators chosen as are the members of standing committees in their respective houses: (c) a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System; and (d) three individuals selected by the Governor.
3. No earlier than 30 days nor later than 45 days after the operational plan described below, the initial Board of Directors of the Corporation would submit an application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to transfer all broadcasting licenses held by the Educational Communications Board (ECB) and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin to the Corporation.
Provide that if the Secretary of DOA determines that the FCC has approved the transfer of all broadcasting licenses held by the ECB and the UW Board of Regents to the Corporation, the Secretary would be required to immediately notify the Revisor of Statutes in writing of the effective date of the last license transferred.
State Aid for Operational Costs. Create an annual, GPR appropriation for the operational costs of the Corporation. No funding would be provided for this purpose in 1999-01. Provide that the proposed Corporation may receive state aid for operational costs if all of the following conditions would be satisfied:
1. The FCC would approve the application for the transfer of all broadcasting licenses, as determined by the Secretary of DOA;
2. The Board of Directors of the Corporation would offer employment beginning on the effect date of the last broadcasting licensed transferred, as determined by the Secretary of DOA, to those individuals designated in the operational plan described below;
3. The Board of Directors of the Corporation would honor affiliation agreements for broadcasting purposes entered into by the ECB and the UW Board of Regents;
4. The Board of Directors of the Corporation would negotiate with the UW Board of Regents and the Secretary of DOA for the use of state-owned equipment and space necessary for the operations of educational radio and television networks;
5. The Secretary of DOA would approve any amendment to the Corporation's articles of incorporation or bylaws;
6. The Corporation would permit public inspection and copying of any record of the Corporation to the same extent as required of, and subject to the same terms and enforcement provisions that apply to an authority, as defined under state law;
7. The Corporation would provide public access to its meetings to the same extent as is required of, and subject to the same terms and enforcement provisions that apply to a governmental body, as defined under state law; and
8. The Corporation would provide employes of the Legislative Audit Bureau with access to all of the Corporation's records.
The Secretary of DOA would be required to pay aid for operational costs in installments, as determined by the Secretary of DOA.
