Tuesday, February 13, 2001
10:00 A.M.
Ninety-Fifth Regular Session
The Senate met.
The Senate was called to order by Senator Fred Risser.
The roll was called and the following Senators answered to their names:
Senators Baumgart, Breske, Burke, Chvala, Cowles, Darling, Decker, Ellis, Erpenbach, Farrow, S. Fitzgerald, George, Grobschmidt, Hansen, Harsdorf, Huelsman, Jauch, A. Lasee, Lazich, M. Meyer, Moen, Moore, Panzer, Plache, Risser, Robson, Roessler, Rosenzweig, Schultz, Shibilski, Welch, Wirch and Zien - 33.
Absent - None.
Absent with leave - None.
The Senate stood for a moment of silent meditation.
The Senate remained standing and Senator Breske led the Senate in the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
__________________
Read and referred:
Senate Joint Resolution 19
Relating to: the life and public service of Ben Barkin.
By
Senators
Darling, Rosenzweig, Panzer, Huelsman, Schultz, S. Fitzgerald, Grobschmidt, Burke, Risser, A. Lasee, Lazich, George, Farrow and Roessler; cosponsored by Representatives Jeskewitz, Wasserman, Gunderson, Kestell, Krug, Plouff, Wade, Albers, Nass, Coggs, Lippert, Ladwig, Hahn, Plale, Gundrum, Townsend, Carpenter, Sykora, Miller, Bock, Ott, Turner, Ziegelbauer, Riley, Walker and Vrakas.
To committee on Senate Organization.
Senate Joint Resolution 20
Relating to: honoring the life and career of Coach Al McGuire by recognizing February 22, 2001, as Al McGuire Day.
By
Senators
Burke, Farrow, George, Moore, Grobschmidt, Huelsman and Rosenzweig; cosponsored by Representatives Plale, Walker, Colon, Cullen and Foti.
To committee on Senate Organization.
__________________
Read first time and referred:
Senate Bill 49
Relating to: creating an office of public intervenor in the department of justice and making an appropriation.
By
Senators
George, Shibilski, Decker, Jauch, Moen, Plache, Baumgart, Risser, Erpenbach, Grobschmidt, Hansen, M. Meyer, Wirch and Burke; cosponsored by Representatives Black, Balow, Sherman, Carpenter, Krug, Reynolds, Ryba, Kreuser, Coggs, Morris-Tatum, Bock, Berceau, Boyle, Cullen, Hebl, Huber, La Fave, Lassa, J. Lehman, Miller, Meyerhofer, Plouff, Pocan, Shilling, Richards, Sinicki, Turner, Travis, Young, Williams and Schooff.
To committee on Judiciary, Consumer Affairs, and Campaign Finance Reform.
Senate Bill 50
Relating to: limitations on state appropriations from general purpose revenue.
By
Senators
Darling, Welch, Harsdorf, Schultz, A. Lasee and Roessler; cosponsored by Representatives Wieckert, Krawczyk, Gundrum, Hoven, Pettis, Leibham, Wasserman, Townsend, Vrakas, Starzyk, F. Lasee, Lippert, Grothman, Hundertmark, Suder, Friske, Skindrud, Montgomery, Owens, Jensen, Kestell, McCormick and Ladwig.
To committee on Universities, Housing, and Government Operations.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Employment Relations
February 2001
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Pursuant to s.
230.04 (9), Wis. Stats., I am pleased to submit the Veterans Employment Report for 2000. The report summarizes veteran new hires and on-board statistics for the time period and includes information for each state agency and each institution of the University of Wisconsin System.
Veterans comprise an important segment of the Wisconsin workforce in both the private and public sectors. State government - and any other employer - can benefit greatly by recruiting and retaining our nation's trained and motivated veterans.
Sincerely,
Peter D. Fox
Secretary
Department of Health and Family Services
January 29, 2001
The Honorable, The Senate:
In
1997 Act 27, the 97-99 Biennial Budget, the Legislature established requirements in state law intended to strengthen protections for children and vulnerable adults in organized care settings. The provisions require, among other things, that designated caregivers conduct background checks on all new and existing staff and bar them from employing anyone who has committed certain crimes or acts. DHFS and (for certain child care providers) counties and local school boards must perform checks on a provider before issuing a license or other credential. Individuals who have committed prohibited crimes or acts may apply to the Department, counties, or school boards for a waiver of the employment or licensing bans upon evidence of rehabilitation.
Sections
48.685(5g) and
50.065(5g) of the Wisconsin Statutes direct the Department to submit an annual report to the legislature that specifies the number of persons who have sought waivers of employment or licensing bans by requesting to demonstrate that they have been rehabilitated. The report must also specify the number of requests that were approved and the reasons for the success or failure of the requests. Attached is the report for 2000.
Questions about this report should be referred to Linda Dawson, Deputy Chief Legal Counsel, at 608-266-0355.
Sincerely,
Joe Leean
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
December 2000
The Honorable, The Legislature:
The Bureau of Health Information is pleased to submit to the Governor and to the Legislature the annual
Guide to Wisconsin Hospitals Fiscal Year 1999. The data for this report were collected under Chapter
153, Wisconsin Statutes. The report provides summary and detailed information about fiscal, utilization, and staffing data at Wisconsin hospitals, and sets forth comparisons among hospitals of increases or decreases in gross revenues, net revenue, and revenues and expenditures.
Sincerely,
Barbara A. Rudolph, Ph.D., Director
Bureau of Health Information
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
February 13, 2001