Hart
, Michael,
of Mequon, as a member of the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2011.
Confirmation.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Kanavas, Zien, Reynolds, Lassa and Decker.
Noes, 0 - None.
Neubauer, Lisa,
of Racine, as a member of the Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District Board, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2005.
Confirmation.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Kanavas, Zien, Reynolds, Lassa and Decker.
Noes, 0 - None.
Scott
, Karen,
of Madison, as a member of the Real Estate Appraisers Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2006.
Confirmation.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Kanavas, Zien, Reynolds, Lassa and Decker.
Noes, 0 - None.
Spano
, David,
of Elm Grove, to serve as a member of the Wisconsin Baseball Park District Board, for the term ending July 1, 2005.
Confirmation.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Kanavas, Zien, Reynolds, Lassa and Decker.
Noes, 0 - None.
Weirich, Lisabeth,
of Middleton, as a member of the Real Estate Board, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2007.
Confirmation.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Kanavas, Zien, Reynolds, Lassa and Decker.
Noes, 0 - None.
Womack
, Rolen,
of Brown Deer, as a member of the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2006.
Confirmation.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Kanavas, Zien, Reynolds, Lassa and Decker.
Ted Kanavas
Chairperson
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Joint LegislativeCouncil
February 28, 2005
The Honorable, The Senate:
Enclosed is a copy of the 2004 Annual Report Legislative Council Rules Clearinghouse, submitted to the Legislature pursuant to s.
227.15 (5), stats.
Sincerely,
TERRY C. ANDERSON
Director
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
February 25, 2005
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed a limited-scope review of state employee cellular phone contracts and usage. The Department of Administration (DOA) negotiates contracts for cellular phone service for all state agencies, including the University of Wisconsin System. The State has approximately 10,000 cellular phones, and fiscal year 2003-04 expenditures totaled almost $2.9 million.
DOA currently contracts with four vendors, although U.S. Cellular Corporation provides nearly 90 percent of the cellular phones for state employees. Its basic monthly plan is $4.75 per line, plus $.09 per minute used within Wisconsin. Agencies may change plans if an alternative plan is determined to be less costly.
We reviewed all executive branch cellular phone charges for September 2004. We found that two-thirds of cellular phone charges in the month were for less than $20. However, 386 cellular phone bills were $100 or more, including 5 for more than $500. We also found agency cellular phone policies to be limited and inconsistent. We include a recommendation for agencies to review high-cost bills on a monthly basis and seek less-expensive options when appropriate.
During the course of our fieldwork, DOA issued the first statewide cellular phone policy. It applies to all agencies, and contains provisions related to assignment, personal use, reimbursement, and monitoring. DOA has also purchased and is in the process of implementing a software product that will allow it and other agencies to better monitor employees' cellular phone usage. We include a recommendation for DOA to report to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee in March 2006 on the status of these monitoring efforts.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DOA and the other agencies we visited.
Sincerely,
JANICE MUELLER
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
February 28, 2005
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 2005.
On January 1, 2005, the
Medical Assistance Trust Fund cash balance closed at a negative $184.0 million. The fund's negative cash balance continued through January 31, 2005, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $191.0 million. The
Medical Assistance Trust Fund cash balance reached it's intramonth low of a negative $193.7 million on January 11, 2005. The deficit is due to federal revenues falling short of estimates included in
2003 Wisconsin Act 33.
On January 1, 2005, the Tuition Trust Fund cash balance closed at a negative $11.0 thousand. The fund's negative cash balance continued until January 14, 2005, when the fund's cash balance closed at a positive $110.0 thousand. The Tuition Trust Fund cash balance reached its intramonth low of a negative $211.0 thousand on January 13, 2005. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
The Medical Assistance Trust Fund, and the Tuition Trust 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 joint committee on Finance.
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
March 1, 2005
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 2005 session of the legislature, visit the Ethics Board's web site at
http://ethics.state.wi.us
Abelson, Richard AFSCME Council 48
Alberts, John Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Bowen, Sarah Wisconsin Psychological
Association
Broydrick, William Lake Express
Carey, Ray Association of Wisconsin
Regional Planning Commissions
Driessen, Anthony eBay, Inc.
Elias, Nathan K12 Inc
Fonfara, Thomas eBay, Inc.
Gerrard, M William Allied Health of Wisconsin SC
Gerrard, M William BNSF Railway
Gratz, Samuel BNSF Railway
S103
Gundermann, Robert Wisconsin Alzheimers Association Chapter Network
Gunderson, Dan Wisconsin Outdoors Alliance
Handrick, Joey Wisconsin Occupational Therapy Association
Hubbard, Gregory Lake Express
Huenemann, Mark Case New Holland Inc
Kies, Kenyon Wisconsin Utility Investors Inc
Laabs, John Wisconsin Broadcasters
Association
McCoshen, William J American Family Insurance Group
McIntosh, Forbes Extendicare Health Services Inc
O'Connor, William P Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors
Petersen, Eric J American Family Insurance
Group