6. Byrne and Penalty Assessment Funded Assistant District Attorneys
HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES
7. Medical Assistance – Revenue Report
8. Graduate Medical Education
9. Nursing Home Bed Assessment
10. Nursing Home Bed Assessment Credit
11. Prescription Drug Reimbursement Rates
12. Prescription Drugs – Prior Authorization Advisory Committee
13. Mental Health Medication Review Committee
14. SeniorCare – Copayments for Brand Name Prescription Drugs
15. SeniorCare – Long-Term Care Insurance and Spend-Down Requirements
16. Managed Care for Recipients of Supplemental Security Income
17. Drug Savings and Funding for Health Maintenance Organizations
18. Supplemental Nursing Home Payment Pilot Demonstration
19. Food Stamp Retailer Transaction Fee
20. Hospital Data Collection
21. Chronic Disease Program
22. Tobacco Control Advisory Committee
23. Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan
24. Multiple Sclerosis Screening
25. Northern Wisconsin Center
26. Daily Rate for Community Placements
27. Bureau of Quality Assurance Surveyors
28. Income Augmentation Plan
29. Wisconsin Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (WiSACWIS
JUSTICE
30. Consumer Protection Assessments
31. Criminal History Searches; Fingerprint Identification Appropriation
32. Department of Justice Required Lapses
OFFICE OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE
33. Federal Homeland Security Funding
PUBLIC DEFENDER BOARD
34. Base Budget Reductions
D. STATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
BUDGET MANAGEMENT AND COMPENSATION RESERVES
1. Discretionary Compensation Adjustment Reductions
ADMINISTRATION
2. Attorney Positions
3. State Agency Appropriation Lapses to the General Fund
4. Local Revenue Sharing Board
5. Interest Component in Risk Management General Fund Supplements
6. Public Benefits: Limitation on the Public Service Commission
7. Required Report on Gaming Expenditures
8. State Government Management Systems and Web Site
9. Computer Services Rate Setting by Rule
10. Transfer or Lapse of Information Technology Funds
11. Required Report on Space Occupancy
12. Tax Appeals Commissioner Hiring Freeze
13. Waste Facility Siting Board Transfer
BUILDING PROGRAM
14. Hmong Cultural Center
EMPLOYEE TRUST FUNDS
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15. Municipal Employer-Initiated Change in Health Care Plan Provider
16. Part-Time Employee Health Insurance
17. Pharmacy Purchasing Pool
18. Private Employer Health Care Program
OFFICE OF STATE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
19. Appropriation Conversion
20. Appointment of the Director
21. Creation of Statutory Divisions
22. Lapse of Employee Development and Training Services Revenue
LEGISLATURE
23. Legislative Reference Bureau Assistance in Obtaining Federal Grants
PROGRAM SUPPLEMENTS
24. Joint Committee on Finance Emergency Supplemental Appropriation
SECRETARY OF STATE
25. Deputy Secretary of State
VETERANS AFFAIRS
26. Veterans Tuition and Fee Reimbursement Schedule
E. TAX AND FINANCE
REVENUE
1. Cigarette and Tobacco Excise Tax Refunds
2. Bad Debt Deductions Against Cigarette and Tobacco Products Taxes
3. Joint Committee on Finance Approval of Lottery Privatization
EDUCATION, WORKFORCE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
A. EDUCATION, WORKFORCE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
1. Four-Year-Old Kindergarten
Sections 2032e, 2032g, 2042v, 9141 (2q) and 9341 (3q)
These sections provide that a child in a four-year-old kindergarten program shall be counted as 0.25 of a pupil for both revenue limit and general school aids purposes, if the child is not considered to have a disability. Under current law, a child in a four-year-old kindergarten program is counted as either 0.5 or 0.6 of a pupil, depending on the program involved.
I am vetoing these sections because they diminish the resources available to school districts to provide four-year-old kindergarten programs. Over half of the school districts in the state currently offer or are planning to offer four-year-old kindergarten programs, which serve nearly 17,000 children statewide. Since these provisions reduce the weight given to these students in the overall membership count for state aid and spending purposes, school districts that provide four-year-old kindergarten will have reductions made to their allowable revenue limit and to their general school aid. Rather than pulling back on our commitment to four-year-old kindergarten, we must at least maintain our current efforts, even during this difficult state budget period.
Reduced funding for four-year-old kindergarten is contrary to both the needs of Wisconsin and research on early childhood education in general. Studies show that as preschoolers continue their education, they are more likely to have higher academic achievement, more likely to graduate from high school, and are less likely to be placed in special education and less likely to become involved with the criminal justice system. Further, while four-year-old kindergarten benefits all children, early education efforts are especially important in areas of the state with high concentrations of disadvantaged youth. Early education opportunities will enable these children to do better and make a positive contribution to Wisconsin's economy and society.
As a result of my veto, an estimated $38 million of revenue limit authority will be restored annually to the school districts that provide four-year-old kindergarten.
When the Legislature adopted these provisions, it also reduced estimated costs for the Milwaukee Choice and Milwaukee Charter programs because these programs count four-year-old pupils in the same manner as for regular public schools. Therefore, I am making the following reestimates:
Choice payments are increased by $1,764,600 GPR in fiscal year 2003-04 and by $1,782,900 GPR in fiscal year 2004-05.
The estimated lapse from general school aids related to Choice payments is increased by $794,100 in fiscal year 2003-04 and $802,300 in fiscal year 2004-05.
Charter payments are increased by $564,000 GPR in fiscal year 2003-04 and by $568,900 GPR in fiscal year 2004-05.
The lapse from general school aids related to Charter payments is increased by the same amount as the Charter payment estimates are increased.
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When the Legislature adopted these provisions, it also reduced the estimated cost of certain tax credits and the cost of computer aid payments. The impact of this veto on these programs is addressed under my veto message regarding revenue limits. (See Public Instruction, Item #3.)
