Tuesday, October 1, 2002
Ninety-Fifth Regular Session
The Chief Clerk makes the following entries under the above date:
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Communications
State of Wisconsin
Revisor of Statutes Bureau
Madison
DATE: October 1, 2002
TO: Patrick E. Fuller
Assembly Assistant Chief Clerk
Donald J. Schneider
Senate Chief Clerk
FROM: Gary L. Poulson
Deputy Revisor of Statutes
SUBJECT: Rules published in the September 30, 2002,
Wisconsin Administrative
Register, No. 561.
The following rules have been published:
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Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
Madison
September 23, 2002
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
This report is transmitted as required by s.
20.002(11)(f), Wisconsin Statutes, (for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s.
13.172(3), Wisconsin Statutes), and confirms that the Department of Administration has found it necessary to exercise the "temporary reallocation of balances" authority provided by this section in order to meet payment responsibilities and cover resulting negative cash balances during the month of August 2002.
On August 1, 2002, the General Fund cash balance closed at a monthly low balance of negative $682.2 million. The negative balance continued through August 31, 2002, when the balance closed at a negative $151.6 million. The negative balance was due to the overall budget shortfall, in combination with the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On August 1, 2002, the Common School Income Fund cash balance closed at a monthly low balance of negative $0.2 million. This negative balance continued until August 5, 2002, when the balance reached a positive $1.2 million. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On August 15, 2002, the Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund cash balance closed at a monthly low balance of negative $4 thousand. This negative balance continued until August 27, 2002, when the balance reached a positive $11 thousand. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
The General Fund, the Common School Income Fund, and the Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund negative cash balances were not in excess of the statutory interfund borrowing limitation and did not exceed the balances of the funds available for interfund borrowing.
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The distribution of interest earnings to investment pool participants is based on the average daily balance in the pool and each fund's share. Therefore, the monthly calculation by the State Controller's Office will automatically reflect the use of these temporary reallocations of balance authority, and as a result, the funds requiring the use of the authority will effectively bear the interest cost.
Sincerely,
George Lightbourn
Secretary
Referred to committee on Ways and Means.
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State of Wisconsin
TEACH Wisconsin
Madison
September 24, 2002
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
I am writing to report to you the activities of the TEACH Wisconsin Board as required by Wis. Stats. 44.17 (2)(f).
TEACH is achieving, and in some cases, surpassing its original goals for building a statewide educational technology infrastructure. We have replaced outdated wiring, spurred ubiquitous access to the Internet, and made personal computing tools commonplace, and trained teachers and library staff. Attached is a summary that describes each of the TEACH programs that have made these advances possible as well as auxiliary TEACH activities that promote curriculum integration, an essential factor in student achievement and job readiness.
The Wisconsin Education Network Collaboration Committee, under the leadership of TEACH, has just completed a comprehensive analysis of PK-20 educational technology needs and will issue its findings and recommendations for a technology migration plan shortly.
With your continued support, the TEACH Wisconsin Board looks forward to meeting the 21st century educational technology needs of Wisconsin citizens.
Sincerely,
Ray Allen
Executive Director
Referred to committee on Education.
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
September 19, 2002
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
At the request of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, we have completed a review of Milwaukee County government. Milwaukee County includes 19 cities and villages and is Wisconsin's largest county, with a population of 940,164. In 2002, it budgeted for 7,082.7 full-time equivalent positions to provide government services through 26 departments. Expenditures for 2002 are estimated to be $1.1 billion.
Changes to retirement benefits for county employees that were enacted in November 2000 have raised questions about the adequacy of oversight for the Milwaukee County Employees' Retirement System. Enhanced retirement benefits are currently estimated to increase retirement benefit costs by $53.5 million for the four-year period covered by the current wage and benefit package. We analyzed several options for improving control and accountability over decisions pertaining to pension benefits, including participation in the Wisconsin Retirement System, other restructuring options, increased state control, improvements to county activities such as the preparation of fiscal notes, and separating pension changes from other wage and benefit negotiations.
