Pursuant to Senate Rule
20(2)(a) and
(b) I have appointed Senator Meyer to the Joint committee on Finance and removed Senator Moore.
With regard to members of the minority party, appointments are made based on the nominations of that caucus.
Sincerely,
Senator Mary Panzer
Senate Majority Leader
State of Wisconsin
March 2, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
Please add my name as a cosponsor of Senate Bill 424. Thank you.
Sincerely,
MArk Honadel
State Representative
State of Wisconsin
March 3, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
Please withdraw my name as a cosponsor of Senate Bill 445.
Sincerely,
Leah Vukmir
State Representative
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
February 27, 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 January 2004.
On January 20, 2004, the Medical Assistance Trust Fund cash balance closed at a negative $42.2 million. The negative balance continued through January 31, 2004, when the fund's cash balance closed at its monthly low of a negative $57.3 million. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures, and a delay in processing interfund transfers. On February 9, 2004, the fund's cash balance closed at a positive $157.8 million.
On January 23, 2004, the Historic Preservation Partnership Fund cash balance closed at a negative $35.0 thousand. The negative balance continued through January 31, 2004 when the fund's cash balance closed at its monthly low of a negative $42.0 thousand. The negative balance was due to the startup of the fund and a difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
The Medical Assistance Trust 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
Ethics Board
March 9, 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
Osborne, Patrick Midwest Airlines
Wood, Charles Gateway Technical College
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
State of Wisconsin
March 9, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
Pursuant to Senate Rule
20(2)(a) and
(b) I have appointed Senator Moore to then Joint Committee on Finance and removed Senator Meyer.
With regard to members of the minority party, appointments are made based on the nominations of that caucus.
Sincerely,
Senator Mary Panzer
Senate Majority Leader
__________________
POINT OF ORDER
FACTS
On Thursday, March 4, 2004, Senator Carpenter introduced Senate Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 298. Senator Welch raised a point of order that Senate Amendment 1 was not germane to Senate Bill 298. The Chair took the point of order under advisement.
RULING OF THE CHAIR
S687
Senate Rule
50 (1) requires every amendment to a proposal to be germane to that proposal. Senate Rule
50 (6) (b) states that any amendment to a proposal that relates to a subject that is different from the subject of that proposal or that is intended to accomplish a purpose that is different from the purpose of that proposal is not germane.
Senate Bill 298 is remedial legislation relating to the scope of the Code of Ethics for Local Public Officials. Senate Amendment 1 relates to the duration of the sales tax that is financing Miller Park construction costs. It is the opinion of the chair that Senate Amendment 1 relates to a subject that is different from the subject of
Senate Bill 298 and that Senate Amendment 1 is intended to accomplish a purpose that is different from the purpose of
Senate Bill 298. As a result, Senate Amendment 1 is not germane to
Senate Bill 298.
Senator Carpenter appealed the ruling of the Chair.
The question was: Shall the Decision of the chair stand as the judgement of the Senate?
The ayes and noes were required and the vote was: ayes, 18; noes, 15; absent or not voting, 0; as follows:
Ayes - Senators Brown, Cowles, Darling, Ellis, S. Fitzgerald, Harsdorf, Kanavas, Kedzie, A. Lasee, Lazich, Leibham, Panzer, Reynolds, Roessler, Schultz, Stepp, Welch and Zien - 18.
Noes - Senators Breske, Carpenter, Chvala, Coggs, Decker, Erpenbach, Hansen, Jauch, Lassa, M. Meyer, Moore, Plale, Risser, Robson and Wirch - 15.
Absent or not voting - None.
The Decision of the Chair stands as the judgement of the Senate.
Ordered to a third reading.
Senator Panzer, with unanimous consent, asked that the bill be considered for final action at this time.
Senate
Bill 298
Read a third time and passed.
__________________
Senator Lazich, with unanimous consent, asked that the Senate recess until 2:00 P.M.
11:17 A.M.
__________________
2:00 P.M.
The Senate reconvened.
Senator A. Lasee in the chair.
__________________
The Chair noted the 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.
__________________
Senator Panzer, with unanimous consent, asked that all the appointments be taken up en masse.
Senator Carpenter objected.
Alden
, Ginger,
of Wausau, as a member of the Artistic Endowment Foundation, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2009.