j. Natural Resources: Fish and Wildlife Account Funding [LFB Paper 166]. Delete the increases in hunting and fishing licenses recommended by the Governor. Transfer an additional $500,000 PR annually (for a total of $2.5 million annually) to the fish and wildlife account of the conservation fund.
k. Natural Resources: Nonpoint Grants [LFB Paper 159]. Delete $1,000,000 PR annually for nonpoint cost-share grants to landowners.
l. Natural Resources: Elk Reintroduction [LFB Paper 167]. Provide $50,000 PR and 1.0 PR wildlife biologist position in 1999-00 and delete $50,000 PR and provide an additional 0.5 PR wildlife biologist position for a total of $200,000 and 1.0 position in 2000-01 for the management of the elk reintroduction program by DNR.
m. Natural Resources: Spearfishing Enforcement Aids [LFB Paper 158]. Delete $10,000 PR annually for spearfishing enforcement aids. Maintain the current GPR appropriation for the aids, with no funding appropriated in the 1999-01 biennium and lapse any balance to the general fund (estimated at $37,000).
n. Natural Resources: Drinking Water Study [LFB Paper 169]. Provide $100,000 PR in 1999-00 in addition to the $300,000 PR in 2000-01 provided under the bill. Require the Town of Swiss and the St. Croix Band to submit a report of the findings of the drinking water and water quality study to DNR and DOA no later than January 1, 2001, instead of January 1, 2003. Specify that the funds be used for engineering design and feasibility activities related to construction of wastewater and drinking water treatment facilities (in addition to being used for a study).
o. Natural Resources: Crane Study and Whooping Crane Reintroduction. Provide $55,000 PR in 1999-00 and $60,000 PR in 2000-01 to DNR as one-time funding for a study of crop damage caused by cranes to be done by the University of Wisconsin and the International Crane Foundation. Also, provide $75,300 PR in 1999-00 and $87,000 PR in 2000-01 and 1.0 PR wildlife biologist position related to the reintroduction of whooping cranes in Wisconsin.
p. Tourism: Tourism Marketing [LFB Paper 171]. Require that at least $1,130,000 annually be spent for Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grants and specify that any tribal government or not-for-profit tribal entity is eligible to receive JEM grants. Delete $750,000 GPR each year from Tourism's marketing appropriation. Allocate $200,000 PR annually from the tribal gaming tourism marketing appropriation for grants to the Milwaukee Public Museum for Native American exhibits and activities. Allocate $75,000 PR in 1999-00 to DNR for completion of Phase II of upgrading at Aztalan State Park, which would include developing an overall public education and research strategy as well as a long-term interpretive and management plan. Further, require the Historical Society to work with the management at Aztalan State Park to achieve this upgrade in a timely fashion. Specify that the management plan include an interpretive and visitors' center, opening other portions of the site to the public and using visual effects to enhance the visitor's experience at the site. Provide 1.0 PR position and transfer $23,500 PR in 1999-2000 and $30,500 PR in 2000-01 from the tribal gaming tourism marketing appropriation to a new, annual appropriation funded by tribal gaming revenue for a tourist information assistant. Require that program revenue from the tribal gaming tourism marketing appropriation annually be transferred to match the amount in the schedule for the tourist information assistant position. Delete $35,700 PR annually and 1.0 vacant tourism special assistant position in the surplus property appropriation for tourism promotion. Specify that Tourism maintain proportionate balances in each marketing appropriation. Maintain the GPR tourism marketing appropriation as an annual appropriation.
q. UW System: Aquaculture Center [LFB Paper 172]. Require the Board of Regents to submit to the Joint Committee on Finance, for its approval under s. 13.10 of the statutes, a plan for the construction and operation of the proposed aquaculture facility including: (1) a description of the physical characteristics of the facility; (2) the functions to be performed by the center; (3) how, and by whom, those functions would be carried out; (4) staffing levels; and (5) estimated operational costs. Specify that the program revenue bonding for construction of the facility could not be issued until the Committee has approved the University's plan.
r. Veterans Affairs: Services to American Indian Veterans [LFB Paper 173]. Provide the additional American Indian veterans services coordinator position as a permanent position rather than a four-year project position. Provide additional funding of $12,500 PR in 1999-00 and $17,500 PR in 2000-01 to establish a grant program of a maximum $2,500 per tribe for those Wisconsin Indian tribes which designate a tribal veterans service officer and which have had a tribal veterans services officer plan approved by DVA.
s. WHEDA: Small Business Loan Guarantees [LFB Paper 174]. Delete the Governor's recommendation regarding: (1) a one-time transfer of $2,500,000 from tribal gaming revenues to the WDRF, specifically for a loan guarantee program to provide up to $200,000 or 100% guarantee of loans for small businesses located in a county or adjacent to a Wisconsin county with a casino; and (2) allowing WHEDA to provide interest subsidies by paying the lender an annual amount of up to 3.5% of the outstanding loan balance.
The following table lists the tribal gaming revenue allocations under the Committee’s actions. Each item is also summarized in greater detail, including any modifications to position authority, under the respective agency summaries.
Tribal Gaming Revenue Allocations -- Joint Finance
Program Revenue
Department 1999-00 2000-01 Purpose
1. Administration $500,000 $500,000 County management assistance grant program.
2. Administration -- Office of
Justice Assistance 525,000 925,000 Tribal law enforcement assistance grant program. Done yes, partial #REF! #REF!
3. Administration -- Office of
Justice Assistance 250,000 250,000 County law enforcement grants for certain counties.
4. Arts Board 25,200 25,200 Grants-in-aid to, or contracts with, American Indian individuals or groups for services furthering the development of the arts and humanities. Done Yes, grey #REF! #REF!
5. Commerce 4,500,000 3,000,000 Gaming economic development grants and loans, including grants to Brown County to support construction of a new arena. Done yes #REF! #REF!
Program Revenue
Department 1999-00 2000-01 Purpose
6. Commerce $0 $2,500,000 Gaming economic diversification grants and loans. Done yes #REF! #REF!
7. Commerce1 388,700 388,700 Physician Loan Assistance Program (PLAP), Health Care Provider Loan Assistance Program (HCPLAP) and a related contract. Done no #REF! #REF!
8. Commerce7 109,700 109,700 Native American liaison, economic development liaison and technical assistance grants. Done yes #REF! #REF!
9. Health and Family Services 1,758,700 1,920,000 Tribal outreach positions, matching funds for federally qualified health centers (FQHC), a contingency fund for BadgerCare premiums of Native American Families and tribal FQHC grants. Done no #REF! #REF!
10. Health and Family Services1 920,000 920,000 Health services: tribal medical relief block grants ($800,000 PR annually) and cooperative American Indian health projects ($120,000 PR annually). Done no #REF! #REF!
11. Health and Family Services1 771,600 771,600 Social services: Indian substance abuse prevention education ($500,000 PR annually) and Indian Aids ($271,600 PR annually). Done no #REF! #REF!
12. Health and Family Services2 250,000 250,000 Compulsive gambling awareness campaign grants. Done no #REF! #REF!
13. Higher Education Aids Board1 779,800 779,800 Indian student assistance grant program for Native American undergraduate or graduate students. Done no #REF! #REF!
14. Higher Education Aids Board 400,000 400,000 Wisconsin Higher Education Grant (WHEG) program for tribal college students. Done no #REF! #REF!
15. Historical Society1 170,100 170,100 Northern Great Lakes Center operations funding.
16. Justice3 758,900 758,900 County-tribal law enforcement programs: local assistance ($708,400 annually) and state operations ($50,500 annually). Done yes #REF! #REF!
17. Natural Resources4 2,500,000 2,500,000 Transfer to the fish and wildlife account of the conservation fund. Done no #REF! #REF!
18. Natural Resources5 669,000 619,000 Snowmobile enforcement program. Done no #REF! #REF!
19. Natural Resources1 120,000 120,000 Nonpoint grants and local assistance to the Oneida Nation. Done no #REF! #REF!
20. Natural Resources1 109,700 109,700 Management of state fishery resources in off-reservation areas where tribes have treaty-based rights to fish. Done no #REF! #REF!
21. Natural Resources 50,000 200,000 Management of an elk reintroduction program. Done no #REF! #REF!
22. Natural Resources6 100,000 100,000 Payment to the Lac du Flambeau Band relating to certain fishing and sports licenses. Done no #REF! #REF!
Program Revenue
Department 1999-00 2000-01 Purpose
23. Natural Resources $81,000 $131,000 Mandatory snowmobile education program. Done no #REF! #REF!
24. Natural Resources 100,000 300,000 One-time grant to the Town of Swiss in Burnett County and the St. Croix Band for a drinking water study and for planning activities related to construction of wastewater and drinking water treatment facilities. Done yes #REF! #REF!
25. Natural Resources 130,300 147,000 Study of crop damage by cranes and a position relating to the reintroduction of whooping cranes.
26. Public Instruction7 198,000 203,000 Aid to alternative schools operating American Indian language and culture education programs. Done no #REF! #REF!
27. Tourism 4,000,000 4,000,000 General tourism marketing, including grants to nonprofit tourism promotion organizations and specific earmarks.
28. University of Wisconsin System 0 0 Ashland full-scale aquaculture demonstration facility: debt service payments and operational costs. Done grey #REF! #REF!
29. Veterans Affairs 79,400 85,500 American Indian services coordinator project position and grants to assist American Indians in obtaining federal and state veterans benefits. Done no #REF! #REF!
30. Workforce Development 350,000 350,000 Vocational rehabilitation services for Native American individuals and tribes or bands. Done no #REF! #REF!
Total $20,595,100 $22,534,200
1 Would eliminate GPR funding and provide an identical amount of gaming revenue for the same purpose.
2 Would eliminate PR lottery and racing revenue funding and provide tribal gaming revenue in a greater amount for the same purpose.
3 Would eliminate GPR and PR penalty assessment funding and provide an identical amount of gaming revenue for the same purpose (funding provided in budget bill reflects an increase previously approved under s. 16.515 of the statutes after the adjusted base was established).
4 Would increase revenue for fish and wildlife account, possibly holding down fee increases or preventing certain program reductions.
