February 23, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
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Pursuant to s.109.12(2) and (3), Wis. Stats., I hereby submit the Department of Workforce Development's (DWD) 2002 annual report on the administration and enforcement of s.
109.07 an s.
109.075, Wis. Stats. The report contains three sections. The first section lists all employers in 2003 that notified DWD of business closings and mass layoffs planned in Wisconsin. The second section of the report lists employers against whom DWD has received business closing or mass layoff notification complaints and the current status or outcome of those complaints. The third section of the report lists employers against whom DWD has received healthcare cessation notification complaints, DWD's actions and the current status or outcome of those complaints.
If you have any questions regarding the information contained in this report please contact Micabil Diaz-Martinez, Administrator of the Equal Rights Division, at (608) 266-0946.
Sincerely,
Roberta Gassman
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
February 26, 2004
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of the Department of Natural Resources' (DNR's) air management programs, as requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. DNR administers two separate permitting programs for controlling air pollution at 2,219 stationary facilities in Wisconsin: the operation permit program and the construction permit program. In fiscal year 2002-03, expenditures for all air management programs - including permitting, monitoring, vehicle emissions, and enforcement - totaled $17.9 million, including $13.3 million in salaries and fringe benefits for 184.0 full-time equivalent employees.
As our June 30, 2003, DNR had issued operation permits to just over half of the facilities required to obtain them. Although 1,128 permits have been issued since 1995, the number of facilities in the backlog was 1,091. Wisconsin is among the slowest states in the nation to issue operation permits, and it is the slowest among midwestern states. The Legislature recently passed
2003 Wisconsin Act 118 to streamline the permitting process and increase the number of permits issued in a timely manner, We have included additional recommendations for streamlining the operation permit process.
Although DNR has generally met statutory and administrative code timeliness standards for issuing construction permits - which are needed for new construction or facility modification - we found 40 construction permits, or 29.2 percent of all pending applications, have been backlogged for at least two years. We recommend changes to streamline the process and issue construction permits in a more timely manner.
We also found numerous examples where program management could be improved, including better emission fee billing, issuing completed permits, obtaining applications from required facilities, issuing renewal permits, inspecting facilities, and consistently following federal and state enforcement policies.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DNR staff. The agency's response follows the appendices.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
March 2, 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 Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co., Inc.
Anderson, David Semling-Menke Company, Inc.
Bright, Michael Midwest Airlines
Elliott, Brian Omni Resources, Inc.
Essie, Patrick Wisconsin Ready Mixed Concrete Association
Longmire, Erin Wisconsin Ready Mixed Concrete Association
Petak, George Omni Resources, Inc.
Peterson, Craig March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
Rogowski, Michael Omni Resources, Inc.
Roys, Lisa Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co., Inc.
Roys, Lisa Semling-Menke Company, Inc.
Schumacher, Elizabeth Meriter Management Services Inc
Springer, Thomas J Omni Resources, Inc.
Viohl, Bridget March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
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.
Sincerely,
R. Roth Judd
Director
__________________
Senator Lazich, with unanimous consent, asked that the Senate recess until 4:27 P.M.
1:27 P.M.
__________________
4:27 P.M.
The Senate reconvened.
Senator A. Lasee in the chair.
__________________
The Chair noticed a possible lack of a quorum.
The roll was called and the following Senators answered to their names:
Senators Breske, Brown, Carpenter, Chvala, Coggs, Cowles, Darling, Decker, Ellis, Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Hansen, Harsdorf, Jauch, Kanavas, Kedzie, A. Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Leibham, M. Meyer, Moore, Panzer, Plale, Reynolds, Risser, Robson, Roessler, Schultz, Stepp, Welch, Wirch and Zien - 33.
Absent - None.
Absent with leave - None.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
February 25, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Altepeter, Carla L.,
of Oshkosh, as a member of the Credit Union Review Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2005.
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Agriculture, Financial Institutions and Insurance.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
February 24, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Ferrall, Victor E.,
of Orfordville, as a member of the State Historical Society Board of Curators, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2005.
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Higher Education and Tourism.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
February 25, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Smith
, Bill G.,
of Madison, as a member of the Prison Industries Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2007.
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
