Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Higher Education and Tourism.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
May 27, 2005
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Elman
, William,
of Appleton, as a member of the Land and Water Conservation Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2009.
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Natural Resources and Transportation.
__________________
Read first time and referred:
Senate Bill 232
Relating to: increasing the administrative and civil penalties that an employer that fails to pay the minimum wage may be required to pay and providing a penalty.
By
Senators
Hansen, Coggs, Wirch, Carpenter, Risser and Erpenbach; cosponsored by Representatives Nelson, Sheridan, Sinicki, Lehman, Zepnick, Berceau, Pocan and Boyle.
To committee on Labor and Election Process Reform.
Senate Bill 233
Relating to: exclusion of members of a state or local governmental body from meetings of a subunit of that body.
By
Senators
Hansen and Risser; cosponsored by Representatives Gard, Lehman, Staskunas and Berceau.
To committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, Military Affairs, Small Business and Government Reform.
__________________
The committee on Natural Resources and Transportation reports and recommends:
Senate Bill 200
Relating to: prohibiting the Department of Natural Resources from promulgating a rule setting forth general policy on conserving and enhancing navigable waters.
No recommendation pursuant to s.
227.19 (6)(b), Wisconsin Statutes.
Neal Kedzie
Chairperson
S246
The committee on
Veterans, Homeland Security, Military Affairs, Small Business and Government Reform reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 210
Relating to: the powers and duties of the Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans assistance, educational programs, burials, cemeteries, homes, housing loans, memorials, and museums, the employment rights and benefits available to persons who are in or who return from military service, the Educational Approval Board, granting rule-making authority, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, making appropriations, and providing penalties.
Concurrence.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Brown, Zien, Kanavas, Breske and Wirch.
Noes, 0 - None.
Assembly Bill 399
Relating to: the involvement of military base commanders with local zoning entities; creating a council on military and state relations; and requiring a seller of real property to disclose its proximity to the boundaries of a military installation.
Concurrence.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Brown, Zien, Kanavas, Breske and Wirch.
Noes, 0 - None.
Assembly Bill 75
Relating to: regulating the cremation of human remains, creating a Crematory Authority Council, granting rule-making authority, and providing penalties.
Concurrence.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Brown, Zien, Kanavas, Breske and Wirch.
Noes, 0 - None.
Ronald Brown
Chairperson
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Joint Legislative Council
June 6, 2005
The Honorable, The Legislature:
I am pleased to transmit to you the following report to the 2005 Legislature on legislation introduced by the Joint Legislative Council:
RL 2005-04 Special Committee on Septage Disposal
[2005 Assembly Bill 449]
I would appreciate your including this letter in the Journal for the information of the membership. Additional copies of this report are available at the Legislative Council Staff offices, One East Main, Suite 401, or from our web page at
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lc/
Sincerely,
TERRY C. ANDERSON
Director
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
June 8, 2005
The Honorable, The Legislature:
As required by s.
66.0317 (2)(e), Wis. Stats., we have reviewed the performance of area cooperation compacts entered into by Wisconsin cities, villages, and towns. Municipalities in designated high-population areas are required to enter into at least two intergovernmental agreements with neighboring municipalities for joint service delivery, shared planning efforts, municipal revenue sharing, boundary agreements, or other types of agreements intended to reduce service delivery costs. Counties may participate in such agreements but are not required to do so. The Department of Revenue surveys municipalities annually on their compliance with these requirements, which began in 2003.
In June 2002, 82.3 percent of the municipalities responding to a survey by the Department, or 368 municipalities, indicated that they planned to enter into compacts by 2003. By June 2004, 72.3 percent of municipalities responding to the Department's survey indicated they had entered into compacts, although inconsistencies in survey responses create some uncertainty about the validity of these results.
We include a recommendation for the Department to improve the quality of the data collected from municipalities and thereby enable more comprehensive assessments of the program in the future.
I hope you find this information useful. Please contact me if you have additional questions.
Sincerely,
JANICE MUELLER
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
June 3, 2005
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Pursuant to Wis. Stat., s.
50.04(5)(fr), the Department is required to submit an annual report to the Legislature related to Class A violations committed by nursing homes, including facilities serving individuals with developmental disabilities, and forfeitures assessed on nursing homes for those violations. Enclosed is the report.
A Class A violation is a violation of Chapter
50, Wis. Stats., HFS 132, or 134, Wis. Admin. Code, that creates a condition or occurrence relating to the operation and maintenance of a nursing home presenting a substantial probability that death or serious mental or physical harm to a resident will result.
The Department issued 35 Class A violations to nursing homes between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2004. The attached chart details all of the Class A violations, including the original forfeiture amount assessed and the status of payment.
I am pleased to inform you that the Department has met the goal of assessing forfeitures within 120 days of the survey exit which is an improvement over past years.
Sincerely,
HELENE NELSON
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Department of Commerce
June 3, 2005
The Honorable, The Legislature:
