Wednesday, March 12, 2003
1:50 P.M.
Ninety-Sixth Regular Session
The Assembly met in the Assembly Chamber located in the State Capitol.
Speaker Gard in the chair.
The prayer was offered by Representative Gronemus.
Representative Underheim led the membership in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
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Special Guest
Representative Underheim introduced Beth Allred, a Junior at Madison West High School, who sang the "Star-Spangled Banner" from the rostrum.
The roll was taken.
The result follows:
Present - Representatives Ainsworth, Albers, Balow, Berceau, Bies, Black, Boyle, Coggs, Colon, Cullen, J. Fitzgerald, Foti, Freese, Friske, Gielow, Gottlieb, Gronemus, Grothman, Gunderson, Gundrum, Hahn, Hebl, Hines, Huber, Hubler, Huebsch, Hundertmark, Jensen, Jeskewitz, Johnsrud, Kaufert, Kerkman, Kestell, Krawczyk, Kreibich, Kreuser, Krug, Krusick, Ladwig, F. Lasee, Lassa, J. Lehman, M. Lehman, LeMahieu, Loeffelholz, Lothian, McCormick, D. Meyer, Miller, Montgomery, Morris, Musser, Nass, Nischke, Olsen, Ott, Owens, Petrowski, Pettis, Plale, Plouff, Pocan, Pope-Roberts, Powers, Rhoades, Richards, Schneider, Schooff, Seratti, Sherman, Shilling, Sinicki, Staskunas, Steinbrink, Stone, Suder, Towns, Townsend, Travis, Turner, Underheim, Van Akkeren, Van Roy, Vrakas, Vruwink, Vukmir, Ward, Wasserman, Weber, Wieckert, A. Williams, M. Williams, J. Wood, W. Wood, Young, Zepnick, Ziegelbauer and Speaker Gard - 98.
Absent with leave - None.
Vacancies - 18th Assembly District - 1.
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Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 24 offered by Representative Ziegelbauer.
Assembly substitute amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 59 offered by Representative Gundrum.
Assembly substitute amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 60 offered by Representative Gundrum.
Assembly amendment 4 to Assembly Bill 111 offered by joint committee on Finance.
Assembly amendment 2 to Assembly Bill 144 offered by committee on State Affairs.
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Relating to filing completed applications for examinations.
Submitted by Department of Regulation and Licensing.
Report received from Agency, March 5, 2003.
To committee on Health.
Referred on March 12, 2003
.
Relating to notarized photographs.
Submitted by Department of Regulation and Licensing.
Report received from Agency, March 5, 2003.
To committee on Health.
Referred on March 12, 2003
.
Relating to admission requirements for all required professional examinations.
Submitted by Department of Regulation and Licensing.
Report received from Agency, March 5, 2003.
To committee on Health.
Referred on March 12, 2003
.
Relating to the annual adjustment of thresholds for application of prevailing wage rates.
Submitted by Department of Workforce Development.
Report received from Agency, March 5, 2003.
To committee on Labor.
Referred on March 12, 2003
.
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The joint committee on Finance reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 111
A106
Relating to: requiring identification in order to vote at a polling place or obtain an absentee ballot, the fee for an identification card issued by the Department of Transportation, and making an appropriation.
Assembly Amendment 1 adoption:
Ayes: 12 - Representatives Kaufert, Huebsch, Ward, Stone, Rhoades and D. Meyer;
Senators
Darling, Welch, S. Fitzgerald, Lazich, Harsdorf and Kanavas.
Noes: 4 - Representatives Coggs and Schooff; Senators Decker and Moore.
Assembly Amendment 2 adoption:
Ayes: 12 - Representatives Kaufert, Huebsch, Ward, Stone, Rhoades and D. Meyer;
Senators
Darling, Welch, S. Fitzgerald, Lazich, Harsdorf and Kanavas.
Noes: 4 - Representatives Coggs and Schooff; Senators Decker and Moore.
Assembly Amendment 3 adoption:
Ayes: 12 - Representatives Kaufert, Huebsch, Ward, Stone, Rhoades and D. Meyer;
Senators
Darling, Welch, S. Fitzgerald, Lazich, Harsdorf and Kanavas.
Noes: 4 - Representatives Coggs and Schooff; Senators Decker and Moore.
Assembly Amendment 4 adoption:
Ayes: 13 - Representatives Kaufert, Huebsch, Ward, Stone, Rhoades, D. Meyer and Schooff; Senators
Darling, Welch, S. Fitzgerald, Lazich, Harsdorf and Kanavas.
Noes: 3 - Representative
Coggs; Senators
Decker and Moore.
Emergency statement attached by joint committee on Finance, pursuant to §
16.47 (2), Wisconsin Statutes:
Ayes: 12 - Representatives Kaufert, Huebsch, Ward, Stone, Rhoades and D. Meyer;
Senators
Darling, Welch, S. Fitzgerald, Lazich, Harsdorf and Kanavas.
Noes: 4 - Representatives Coggs and Schooff; Senators Decker and Moore.
Passage as amended:
Ayes: 12 - Representatives Kaufert, Huebsch, Ward, Stone, Rhoades and D. Meyer;
Senators
Darling, Welch, S. Fitzgerald, Lazich, Harsdorf and Kanavas.
Noes: 4 - Representatives Coggs and Schooff; Senators Decker and Moore.
To committee on Rules.
Dean Kaufert
Assembly Chairperson
Joint committee on Finance
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
March 12, 2003
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
As requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, we have completed an evaluation of the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) District. During fiscal year (FY) 2001-02, MATC enrolled 12,504 full-time equivalent (FTE) students, and its total operating expenditures were $152.0 million. It received $29.2 million in general and categorical state aids, in addition to revenue from local property taxes, tuition and fees, and contracts to provide specialized training.
Uncertainty about MATC's financial status led to the attachment of a "negative outlook" to its debt rating in December 2001, in part because of a projected general fund budget deficit of $3.5 million. The district was able to eliminate the deficit and ended FY 2001-02 with a surplus of $784,000. Because of the surplus and the level of reserve funds the district was able to maintain, the negative outlook was removed in December 2002. However, MATC will need to continue to monitor its financial condition, including its management of employee health care costs. In October 2002, MATC signed an agreement with its unions that achieved significant health care plan changes intended to control costs. However, to achieve union acceptance, MATC signed agreements with its unions to forego further plan changes until mid-2007. These agreements could limit MATC's ability to address future health care cost increases.
We also examined the operations of MATC's nine-member Board of Directors, which is appointed by local school board presidents. We include a recommendation that the Board seek guidance regarding its use of closed sessions, as well as a number of recommendations to ensure compliance with state statutes and its own policies. In addition, we include recommendations to improve the information provided to the Board in making its governance decisions.
