Debt Service and Lease Appropriations and Bonding Authorization.
1. Create a continuing, program revenue appropriation under DOA for lease payments for state-owned educational broadcasting facilities and equipment that would be received from the corporation for the purpose of the payment of principal and interest costs incurred in financing the acquisition, construction, development, enlargement or improvement of facilities approved by the Building Commission for operation by the ECB. No funding estimates would be provided for 1999-01.
2. Create a sum sufficient, GPR appropriation under DOA for the payment of principal and interest costs that would not be paid through lease payments described above, and that would be incurred in financing the acquisition, construction, development, enlargement or improvement of facilities approved by the Building Commission for operation by the ECB. Provide that no moneys may be encumbered unless the Secretary of DOA first 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.
3. Authorize the issuance of general obligation bonding for DOA to acquire, construct, develop, enlarge or improve educational communications facilities. Provide that the state may contract public debt in an amount not to exceed $8,354,100 less any amount contracted on behalf of the former ECB before the effective date of the last license transferred.
Milwaukee Area Technical College Broadcasting Licenses
Provide that if all broadcasting licenses held by the ECB and the UW Board of Regents have been transferred to the proposed Corporation and the district board governing Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) determines to relinquish its public broadcasting licenses, it would be required, subject to the approval of the FCC, to offer to assign the licenses to the Corporation. Under current law, if the MATC District Board determines to relinquish its public broadcasting licenses, it is required, subject to the approval of the FCC, to offer to assign the licenses to the ECB.
Department of Public Instruction Appropriation
Create a new, annual GPR appropriation under the Department of Public Instruction for contracting with the proposed Corporation for educational programming. No funding would be provided in 1999-01.
TEACH Board Membership
Provide that if the Secretary of DOA would determine that the FCC has approved the transfer of all broadcasting licenses held by the ECB and the UW Board of Regents to the proposed Corporation, on and after the effective date of the last license transferred, the ECB appointee to the TEACH Board would be eliminated and the number of at-large members of the TEACH Board appointed by the Governor would increase from four to five.
[Bill Sections: 4, 14, 26, 27, 38, 39, 63, 228 thru 241, 251, 288, 536 thru 538, 628, 638, 641, 647, 648, 888, 897, 905, 906, 930, 2360, 2362, 2364, 2366, 2367 and 9101(8)]
2. PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING TOWERS
Governor: Provide that the Department of Administration (DOA), after consultation with all other state agencies, would be required to prepare a report on the privatization of state-owned or state-leased communications towers that are used for public broadcasting and any related structures, equipment and property, except for the communications tower operated by the Milwaukee Area Technical College. Require that the report would include each of the following:
a. An inventory of all communications towers; and
b. A plan for implementing privatization of communications towers, including any plans and specifications for the sale or sublease of communications towers to private bidders and any proposed contract terms for the state to lease back sufficient capacity on communications towers in order to meet the state's current communications needs and for providing for any construction or expansion that is necessary to meet the state's future communications needs.
Provide that DOA would be required to submit the report to the Joint Committee on Finance of the Legislature for its review, no later June 30, 2000. Provide that if the Co-Chairpersons of the Committee would not notify DOA within 14 working days after the date of submittal of the report that the Committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the report, the plan included in the report may be implemented as proposed by DOA. Provide that if, within 14 working days after the date of submittal, the Co-Chairpersons of the Committee would notify DOA that the Committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the report, the plan may be implemented only upon approval of the Committee.
[Bill Section: 9101(15)]
EDUCATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS BOARD
Budget Change Items
1. STANDARD BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS
GPR $254,500
PR 82,800
Total $337,300
Governor: Adjust the base budget for: (a) full funding of continuing salaries and fringe benefits ($1,000 GPR and $22,100 PR annually); (b) full funding of financial services charges ($2,100 GPR and $1,500 PR annually); (c) reclassifications ($23,400 GPR and $3,100 PR annually); (d) overtime ($68,400 GPR and $10,000 PR annually); (e) night and weekend differential ($7,300 GPR annually); and (f) fifth week of vacation as cash ($24,400 GPR and $3,500 PR in 1999-00 and $25,700 GPR and $5,900 PR in 2000-01).
2. DEBT SERVICE REESTIMATE
GPR - $112,400
Governor: Reestimate debt service costs by $41,700 in 1999-00 and -$154,100 in 2000-01 from the base level of $978,900.
3. ELIMINATION OF BOARD DUTIES AND FUNDING
GPR - $50,000
Governor: Provide that if the Secretary of the Department of Administration (DOA) would determine that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the transfer of all broadcasting licenses held by the ECB and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents to the proposed nonstock Educational Broadcasting Corporation, on and after the effective date of the last license transferred, the ECB would be eliminated as follows:
a. The current law board composition, duties, powers and appropriations of the ECB would not apply, including authority regarding the executive director position and unclassified professional staff positions;
b. The nonstock corporation, which under current law is for the exclusive purpose of raising funds for the ECB to support the activities of the Board, would be eliminated;
c. The unencumbered balances of certain ECB appropriations would be transferred to the appropriation that would be created for the proposed Corporation's operational costs. Under the bill, the total amount provided for the eleven designated appropriations is $6,197,100 GPR, $6,853,400 PR and $471,800 FED in 1999-00 and $6,198,400 GPR, $6,855,800 PR and $471,800 FED in 2000-01; and
d. The remaining authority to contract public debt in an amount not to exceed $8,354,100 for educational communications facilities would be transferred to DOA.
Delete $25,000 annually in 1999-01 from the agency's general program operations; according to the Executive Budget documents, this funding would eliminated for the purpose of providing funding for the initial costs of the proposed Corporation.
Under current law, the major ECB duties include responsibilities to: (a) plan, construct and develop a state system of radio broadcasting for the presentation of educational, informational and public service programs; (b) protect the public interest in educational television by preserving educational television channels for Wisconsin and maintaining a comprehensive plan for the operation of a statewide television system for the presentation of noncommercial instructional programs which will serve the best interests of the people of the state; (c) work with educational agencies and institutions of the state as reviewer, adviser and coordinator of joint efforts to meet the educational needs of the state through radio, television and other appropriate technologies; (d) coordinate the radio activities of the various educational and informational agencies, civic groups, and citizens having contributions to make to the public interest and welfare; (e) procure or publish instructional material related to educational broadcasting; (f) give priority to and develop instructional television programs that are specific to the state for use in schools; and (g) enter into affiliation agreements with the UW Board of Regents and other broadcast radio and television licensees for the purpose of furthering certain duties of ECB.
See "Educational Broadcasting Corporation" for more information
[Bill Sections: 14, 38, 39, 229 thru 241, 641, 647, 648, 905, 906, 930, 2360, 2362, 2364, 2366, 2367 and 9101(8)]
ELECTIONS BOARD
Budget Change Items
1. STANDARD BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS
GPR $135,700
PR - 20,800
Total $114,900
Governor: Provide adjustments totaling $67,400 GPR and -$10,400 PR in 1999-00 and $68,300 GPR and -$10,400 PR in 2000-01 for: (a) removal of non-continuing elements from the base (-$10,400 PR annually); (b) full funding of salary and fringe benefit costs ($52,000 GPR annually); (c) full funding of financial services charges ($300 GPR annually); (d) reclassifications ($9,900 GPR annually); (e) fifth week of vacation as cash ($3,900 GPR in 1999-00 and $4,800 GPR in 2000-01); and (f) full funding of lease costs ($1,300 GPR annually).
2. INCREASED FUNDING FOR WECF
GPR $750,000
Governor: Provide $750,000 GPR in 2000-01 to be transferred on September 1, 2000, to the legislative campaign account of Wisconsin Election Campaign Fund (WECF). A new GPR appropriation would be created for this purpose. Currently, legislative candidates, as well as candidates for statewide offices, are eligible for grants from the WECF, which is funded by monies directed through a $1 taxpayer designation on state individual income tax returns ($2 for joint returns) to the WECF.
[Bill Sections: 589 and 706]
3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTUAL STAFF
GPR $62,400
Governor: Provide $31,200 GPR annually to fund a computer programming support contract for the Elections Board information system software which includes allowing the filing of campaign finance reports in an electronic format. The request assumes the purchase of 520 hours of contract programming support annually at $60 per hour for technical support in the event of software failures and for future software design and access issues. Current law requires any registrant who accepts contributions or makes distributions of $20,000, or more, during a campaign period to file required campaign finance reports in an electronic format after June 30, 1999.
4. DRAFTING INSTRUCTIONS: LEGISLATION FOR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
Governor: Create session law language, to be retroactively effective on February 28, 1999, requiring the Legislative Reference Bureau to prepare draft legislation relating to campaign finance reform and the composition of the state Elections Board. DOA would be required to submit final instructions for drafting of this legislation no later than March 1, 1999, and the Secretary of DOA would be required to submit the proposed legislation to the Co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Finance no later than April 1, 1999. (The date requirements in this language will have passed before the budget bill itself becomes law.)
[Bill Sections: 9158(6) and 9414(1)]
EMPLOYE TRUST FUNDS
Budget Change Items
