State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
February 4, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am vetoing Senate Bill 252 in its entirety. The bill subjects proposed land acquisition, property development, and grants to local units of government and nonprofit organizations under the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship 2000 Program to passive review by the Joint Committee on Finance if the transaction's cost exceeds $250,000. This proposal is similar to a previous passive review process for Stewardship transactions that I vetoed in the 2003-05 state budget bill.
After decades of bipartisan support for land conservation that began with Governors Gaylord Nelson and Warren Knowles, the Joint Committee on Finance, in recent years, used their passive review process to politicize Stewardship transactions. Projects were needlessly delayed, sometimes for nearly a year, before the committee would schedule a review. These delays jeopardized many transactions, increased land transaction costs, threatened matching funds raised by private citizens, conservation organizations and local and federal governments, and finally resulted in high quality projects being rejected by partisan votes. Stewardship land conservation is critical to protecting Wisconsin's quality of life and our vital tourist industry.
I support public input and thorough review of proposed land acquisitions and other activities under the Stewardship 2000 program, Under current law, the seven member, citizen Natural Resources Board, provides policy review and opportunities for public comment on Stewardship 2000 Program activity. State conservation areas are created after public input and open hearings and a public vote by the Natural Resources Board. Individual land purchases over $150,000 are reviewed and voted upon by the Natural Resources Board in open meetings. This appropriate review process takes the politics out of land conservation and lets the citizen Natural Resources Board make these decisions based upon the merits of the transaction, not partisan politics. I object to the unnecessary duplication of review included in SB 252 and the reinsertion of politics into land conservation.
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Lastly, the bill will lead to negative impacts on time sensitive land conservation projects and will jeopardize critical matching funds provided by private conservation organizations, local governments, and the federal government.
Sincerely,
Jim Doyle
Governor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
February 6, 2004
To the Honorable, the Senate:
The following bill(s), originating in the Senate, have been approved, signed and deposited in the office of the Secretary of State:
Sincerely,
Jim Doyle
Governor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Secretary of State
To the Honorable, the Senate:
Sincerely,
Douglas La follette
Secretary of State
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
January 30, 2004
The Honorable, The Legislature:
This report is transmitted as required by sec. 20.002(11)(f) of the Wisconsin Statutes, (for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under sec. 13.172(3) Stats.), 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 balances during the month of December 2003.
On December 1, 2003, the General Fund cash balance closed at a negative $185.0 million. The negative balance continued until December 15, 2003, when the balance closed at a positive $35.2 million. The General Fund cash balance reached it monthly low of a negative $200.3 million on December 11, 2003. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On December 1, 2003, the Agricultural Chemical Cleanup Fund cash balance closed at its monthly low of a negative $115.0 thousand. The negative balance continued until December 10, 2003, when the balance closed at a positive $9.0 thousand. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On December 23, 2003, the Historic Preservation Partnership Fund cash balance closed at its monthly low of a negative $6.0 thousand. The negative balance continued until December 29, 2003, when the balance closed at a positive $36.0 thousand. The negative balance was due to the startup of the fund and a difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
The General Fund, Agricultural Chemical Cleanup Fund, and the Historic Preservation Partnership Fund shortfalls were not in excess of the statutory interfund borrowing limitations and did not exceed the balances of the funds available for interfund borrowing.
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,
Marc J. Marotta
Secretary
Referred to the joint committee on Finance.
State of Wisconsin
February 5, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
Please remove my name as a cosponsor of Senate Bill 347, authorizing the use of the design-build construction process for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.
Sincerely,
Mark D. Gundrum
State Representative
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
February 10, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
The following lobbyists have been authorized to act on behalf of the organizations set opposite their names.
For more detailed information about these lobbyists and organizations and a complete list of organizations and people authorized to lobby the 2003 session of the legislature, visit the Ethics Board's web site at
http://ethics.state.wi.us
Anderson, David Apogee Wausau Group
Bloch, Jodi Wisconsin Hospital Association Inc (WHA)
Boxer, Barbara K Nonprofit Affordable Housing Coalition
Broydrick, William Garmin International Inc.
Chandler, Richard Wisconsin Merchants Federation
Cullen, Thomas Wisconsin Realtors Association
Derus, Margaret Nonprofit Affordable Housing Coalition
Elliott, Brian University of Phoenix
Essie, Patrick Multi-State Associates on behalf of the National Association of Settlement Purchasers
Franken, Andrew Wisconsin Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus
Hanson, David SBC-Wisconsin
Hertel, Julia Wisconsin Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus
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Hilton, Stephanie
United Council of UW Students Inc
Honzelka, Joseph Milwaukee Police Association
Hoven, Timothy DeHart & Darr Associates Inc on behalf of Direct
Jentz, Robert Envirotest Wisconsin Inc
Lamb, Jordan Envirotest Wisconsin Inc
Liebe, Thomas Northwestern Mutual
Longmire, Erin Multi-State Associates on behalf of the National Association of Settlement Purchasers
Loomis, Suzanne Primerica Financial Services
Lyles, Ward 1000 Friends of Wisconsin
Mc Coshen, William J Community Loans of America
McIntosh, Forbes Garmin International Inc.
Moore, Thomas E Wisconsin Chiropractic Association
Petak, George Securities Industry Association
Petersen, Eric J Venture Investors LLC
Plautz, Jolene Home Instead Senior Care
Radloff, Gary Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association
Roys, Lisa Apogee Wausau Group
Spangler, Maren Bayer HealthCare
Stenger, Scott American International Group
Taffora, Raymond Virchow Krause Capital LLC
Tanner, Brian United Council of UW Students Inc
Taylor, Chad Dominion Resources Services, Inc.
Taylor, Chad Virchow Krause Capital LLC
Thompson-Hill, Jonathan Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals
Timm, Craig Domtar Industries Inc.
Varley, Robert Dominion Resources Services, Inc.
Wilson, John D Dominion Resources Services, Inc.
Also available from the Wisconsin Ethics Board are reports identifying the amount and value of time state agencies have spent to affect legislative action and reports of expenditures for lobbying activities filed by organizations that employ lobbyists.