My own biased view, thoughtfully biased I hasten to add, is that at a minimum, the Fund should be maintained at the same percentage of total budget as the original ORAP proposal - i.e. 1/2 of one percent of the total budget or $120 million. To put the numbers in some historical perspective, it should be noted that in 1960 the average cost of land per acre was $26. The price of comparable land in 1999 is $1600 per acre.
I realize it is late in the budget process and $120 million may be an unrealistic goal at this time - but it should be a realistic goal for the next budget. Thus, I hope a $60 million annual budget will be approved at this time. This is all by way of saying, please don't further enfeeble the Stewardship Fund by allowing inflation to debase its value even more rapidly.
Council For A Sustainable Wisconsin
I think the most important current environmental need is to establish some orderly procedure for evaluating the serious environmental threats and then initiating a public dialogue over the best approach to a resolution. Presently, we simply do not have an effective, well-designed mechanism for putting important issues on the public agenda and keeping them there until some resolution is achieved.
To address this void I recommend that the legislature establish a Council For A Sustainable Wisconsin. The Council would make an annual Wisconsin Environmental Health Report to the governor, the legislature and the public.
Today, we are overwhelmed with knowledge, statistics, and information. Few have the time to synthesize and analyze this overwhelming plethora of spoken and written word. The quest for environmental quality is no exception. The annual Council report would identify a number of the most critical issues the state faces. This will place these problems on the political agenda, subject to debate and discussion. The Governor would appoint members to the Council from lists of candidates submitted by the chancellors of major campuses in the UW system with environmental teaching and research responsibilities. Ideally, the Governor would deliver an annual message to the Legislature with his environmental recommendations.
This would provide an orderly procedure to assure that environmental matters are given serious consideration."
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Representative Bock asked unanimous consent for a leave of absence for part of today's session for Representative Coggs. Granted.
Assembly Joint Resolution 62
Relating to: honoring the life and service of Gaylord Nelson.
The question was: Shall Assembly Joint Resolution
62 be adopted?
Motion carried.
Representative Berceau asked unanimous consent that all members of the Assembly be made coauthors of Assembly Joint Resolution 62. Granted.
Representative Ladwig asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Joint Resolution 62 be immediately messaged to the Senate. Granted.
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Representative Vrakas asked unanimous consent that the Assembly stand recessed. Granted.
The Assembly stood recessed.
11:23 A.M.
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3:25 P.M.
The Assembly reconvened.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese in the chair.
Assembly Resolution 11
Relating to: designating August 16 of each year as National Airborne Day.
The question was: Shall Assembly Resolution 11 be adopted?
Motion carried.
Assembly Resolution 12
Relating to: supporting an initiative seeking a just and peaceful resolution of the situation in Cyprus.
The question was: Shall Assembly Resolution 12 be adopted?
Motion carried.
Senate Joint Resolution 15
Relating to: the life and public service of Laurie Carlson.
The question was: Shall Senate Joint Resolution 15 be concurred in?
Motion carried.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Senate Joint Resolution 15 be immediately messaged to the Senate. Granted.
Senate Bill 114
Relating to: the property tax lottery credit and making an appropriation.
The question was: Shall Senate amendment 1 to Assembly amendment 1 to Senate Bill 114 be concurred in?
Motion carried.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Senate Bill
114 be immediately messaged to the Senate. Granted.
Assembly Bill 2
Relating to: the use of high-beam headlamps on motor vehicles.
The question was: Shall Assembly Bill 2 be ordered engrossed and read a third time?
Motion carried.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Bill
2 be given a third reading. Granted.
The question was: Assembly Bill 2 having been read three times, shall the bill be passed?
Motion carried.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Bill
2 be immediately messaged to the Senate. Granted.
Assembly Bill 227
Relating to: changing the boundaries of Jackson County and Monroe County.
The question was: Shall Assembly Bill 227 be ordered engrossed and read a third time?
Motion carried.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Bill
227 be given a third reading. Granted.
The question was: Assembly Bill 227 having been read three times, shall the bill be passed?
Motion carried.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Bill
227 be immediately messaged to the Senate. Granted.
Assembly Bill 355
Relating to: sexual assault of a person confined in an adult or juvenile detention or correctional facility and providing a penalty.
The question was: Shall Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 355 be adopted?
Motion carried.
The question was: Shall Assembly Bill 355 be ordered engrossed and read a third time?
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Bill
355 be given a third reading. Granted.
The question was: Assembly Bill 355 having been read three times, shall the bill be passed?
Motion carried.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Bill
355 be immediately messaged to the Senate. Granted.
Assembly Bill 389
Relating to: control and ownership of transmission facilities by a transmission company and a Midwest independent system operator, ownership of nonutility assets by a public utility holding company, investments in transmission facilities, offers of employment to certain public utility and nonutility affiliates employes, fees and approvals for certain high-voltage transmission lines, construction of certain electric transmission facilities, environmental reviews by the public service commission, reports on reliability status of electric utilities, state participation in a regional transmission need and siting compact, incentives for development of certain generating facilities, study of market power and retail electric competition, market-based compensation, rates and contracts for electric customers, regulation of certain nitrogen oxide emissions, establishing programs for low-income energy assistance, improving energy conservation and efficiency markets and encouraging the development and use of renewable resources, creating a council on utility public benefits, establishing a utility public benefits fund, requiring electric utilities and retail electric cooperatives to charge public benefits fees to customers and members, imposing requirements on the use of renewable resources by electric utilities and cooperatives, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, making appropriations and providing a penalty.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that Assembly Bill 389 be placed at the foot of today's calendar. Granted.
Representative Duff in the chair.
Senate Bill 179
Relating to: authorizing the completion of the capitol restoration project, historically significant furnishings, granting bonding authority and making appropriations.
Assembly amendment 1 to Senate Bill 179 offered by Representative Nass.
Representative Freese moved rejection of Assembly amendment 1 to Senate Bill 179.
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Representative Vrakas asked unanimous consent for a leave of absence for part of today's session for Representative Handrick. Granted.
Representative Coggs asked unanimous consent that his leave of absence be lifted. Granted.
The question was: Shall Assembly amendment 1 to Senate Bill 179 be rejected?
The roll was taken.
The result follows:
Ayes - Representatives Ainsworth, Albers, Balow, Berceau, Black, Bock, Boyle, Brandemuehl, Carpenter, Coggs, Colon, Cullen, Duff, Freese, Gard, Gronemus, Gundrum, Hahn, Hasenohrl, Hebl, Hoven, Huber, Hubler, Huebsch, Hundertmark, Hutchison, Jeskewitz, Johnsrud, Kaufert, Kestell, Klusman, Kreibich, Krug, Krusick, La Fave, Ladwig, F. Lasee, Lassa, J. Lehman, M. Lehman, Leibham, Meyer, Meyerhofer, Miller, Montgomery, Morris-Tatum, Musser, Olsen, Ott, Owens, Petrowski, Pettis, Plale, Plouff, Pocan, Porter, Powers, Reynolds, Rhoades, Richards, Riley, Ryba, Schneider, Schooff, Seratti, Sherman, Sinicki, Skindrud, Spillner, Staskunas, Steinbrink, Sykora, Townsend, Travis, Turner, Urban, Vrakas, Wasserman, Waukau, Wieckert, Williams, Wood, Young, Ziegelbauer and Speaker Jensen - 85.
Noes - Representatives Foti, Goetsch, Grothman, Gunderson, Kedzie, Kelso, Kreuser, Nass, Stone, Suder, Underheim, Walker and Ward - 13.
Absent or not voting - Representative Handrick - 1.
