Ayes, 4 - Senators
Leibham, Kanavas, Kedzie and M. Meyer.
Noes, 1 - Senator
Breske.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
October 21, 2003
The Honorable, The Legislature:
S427
At the request of several legislators, we have conducted a review of state efforts to combat chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease that affects members of the deer family. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has primary responsibility for coordinating CWD management efforts in Wisconsin, in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protections (DATCP), the Department of Health and Family Services, and the University of Wisconsin. Through fiscal year (FY) 2002-03, we estimate these state agencies spent a total of $14.7 million combating the disease. The majority of expenditures - 64.9 percent - supported the salaries and benefits of an estimated 122.8 full-time equivalent employees dedicated to CWD efforts in FY 2002-03.
DNR had the largest share of CWD-related expenditures. Its spending totaled $12.6 million, including $4.0 million for the collection and extraction of deer tissue and for constructing and modifying facilities in which to conduct this work. At $2.0 million, costs associated with herd reduction and carcass disposal represented the second-largest expenditure category. In addition, DATCP spent a total of $1.1 million on CWD activities, primarily for regulating and preventing disease among farm-raised deer; the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory spent $924,000 to test deer tissue for the presence of CWD; and the Department of Health and Family Services spent $49,000 to review potential links between CWD and a related disease in humans.
A number of questions regarding efforts to contain CWD will need to be addressed in the future, including how best to ensure the effectiveness of herd depopulation efforts, ensure cooperation between DNR and DATCP in the regulation of farm-raised deer, make the greatest use of a new tissue digester that will likely provide a less-costly means of disposal than incineration, and ensure the most appropriate allocation of limited resources.
I hope you find this information helpful. We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DNR, DATCP, the Department of Health and Family Services, and the University of Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
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By Patrick E. Fuller, chief clerk.
Mr. President:
I am directed to inform you that the Assembly has passed and asks concurrence in:
Assembly Bill 49
Assembly Bill 89
Assembly Bill 101
Assembly Bill 124
Assembly Bill 256
Assembly Bill 263
Assembly Bill 343
Assembly Bill 365
Assembly Bill 375
Assembly Bill 396
Assembly Bill 409
Assembly Bill 459
Assembly Bill 602
Adopted and asks concurrence in:
Assembly Joint Resolution 49
Amended and concurred in as amended:
Senate Bill 38
(Assembly substitute amendment 1 adopted)
Concurred in:
Senate Bill 29
Senate Joint Resolution 26
Senate Joint Resolution 31
__________________
Assembly Bill
49
Relating to: burglary and providing a penalty.
By Representatives Ladwig, Gunderson, J. Lehman, Turner, Bies, Gielow, Gronemus, Hines, Huebsch, Krawczyk, Lassa, McCormick, Owens, Pettis, Stone, Suder, Townsend, Vrakas, J. Wood and Ziegelbauer; cosponsored by Senators Stepp and Roessler.
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy.
Assembly Bill
89
Relating to: installment payments of refunds of taxes on manufacturing property, the interest on refunded and additional taxes on manufacturing property, and making an appropriation.
By Representatives M. Lehman, Jeskewitz, W. Wood, Olsen, Gielow, J. Lehman, Grothman, Seratti, Townsend, Ziegelbauer, Hahn, F. Lasee, Krawczyk, Ladwig and Colon; cosponsored by Senators Kanavas and A. Lasee.
Read first time and referred to committee on Homeland Security, Veterans and Military Affairs and Government Reform.
Assembly Bill
101
Relating to: juvenile in need of protection or services jurisdiction over a juvenile who commits a 3rd alcohol beverage violation.
By Representatives Huber, Bies, Staskunas, Ladwig, Underheim, Plouff, J. Lehman, Musser and Turner; cosponsored by Senators Roessler and Decker.
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy.
Assembly Bill
124
Relating to: regional emergency response team requirements.
By Representatives Gunderson, Kerkman, Albers, Bies, Berceau, Gronemus, Hahn, Huber, Ladwig, M. Lehman, McCormick, Olsen, Ott, Townsend, Vrakas, J. Wood and J. Fitzgerald; cosponsored by Senators Cowles, Brown and Roessler.
Read first time and referred to committee on Homeland Security, Veterans and Military Affairs and Government Reform.
Assembly Bill
256
Relating to: compatible offices and positions for city, village, and town elective officeholders.
By Representatives Hundertmark, Jeskewitz, Albers, Bies, Friske, Gielow, Hines, J. Lehman, M. Lehman, Olsen, Ott and Owens; cosponsored by Senators Welch and Schultz.
Read first time and referred to committee on Education, Ethics and Elections.
Relating to: changing the bonding requirements for city, village, and county officers.
By Representatives Stone, Musser, Ainsworth, Ladwig, Grothman, Hines, Bies, Gunderson, Olsen, Hahn and Hundertmark; cosponsored by Senator Brown
.
Read first time and referred to committee on Homeland Security, Veterans and Military Affairs and Government Reform.
Assembly Bill
343
Relating to: establishing a clearinghouse for information about special education transition services and vocational opportunities that are available in each county.
By Representatives Owens, Townsend, Ladwig, Jeskewitz, J. Wood, Van Roy, Krawczyk, Loeffelholz, Musser, Hines, Berceau, Gronemus, Miller and Zepnick; cosponsored by Senators Roessler, Ellis, Stepp, Plale, Wirch and Robson.
Read first time and referred to committee on Education, Ethics and Elections.
Assembly Bill
365
Relating to: authorizing municipal courts to contract with collection agencies and the sharing of collection costs by cities, villages, towns, and counties.
By Representatives Nischke, Foti, Vrakas, Nass, Bies, Friske, Gard, Gunderson, Hines, Jensen, Kestell, Ladwig, F. Lasee, M. Lehman, McCormick, Musser, Ott, Staskunas, Townsend, Van Roy, Taylor, Plouff, Pettis, Weber, J. Wood and Grothman; cosponsored by Senators Kedzie, Roessler and Stepp.
Read first time and referred to committee on Homeland Security, Veterans and Military Affairs and Government Reform.
Assembly Bill
375
Relating to: leaving the scene of an accident and providing a penalty.
By Representatives Hines, Friske, Zepnick, McCormick, Owens, Kreibich, Ainsworth, Ott, Wasserman, Seratti, Gronemus, Hundertmark, Townsend, Hahn, Nass, Bies, J. Fitzgerald, Turner, Van Roy, Pettis, Suder and Vrakas; cosponsored by Senators S. Fitzgerald, Darling, Erpenbach, Roessler and Kanavas.
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy.
Assembly Bill
396
Relating to: Clean Water Fund Program financial hardship assistance for the Elcho Sanitary District.
By Representatives Friske and Gard.
Read first time and referred to committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
Assembly Bill
409
Relating to: the duties of county veterans' service officers.
By Representatives Musser, Boyle, Bies, Schneider, Pettis, Gronemus, Kreibich, Travis, Suder, Freese, McCormick, Morris, Gunderson, Turner, Kestell, Hines, Vrakas, Krawczyk, Van Roy, Ott, M. Lehman, Albers, Berceau, Nass, Black, Ainsworth, Miller and Hahn; cosponsored by Senators S. Fitzgerald, Roessler, Hansen, Wirch, Schultz and Carpenter.
Read first time and referred to committee on Homeland Security, Veterans and Military Affairs and Government Reform.
Assembly Bill
459
Relating to: inclusion of social security numbers and employer identification numbers in Uniform Commercial Code financing statements.