February 8, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of the Milwaukee County child welfare program, as requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. The program, which protects children from abuse and neglect, is administered by the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare in the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS). This review is part of a comprehensive evaluation that also addresses program management and performance (report 06-1).
Program expenditures totaled $493.7 million from January 2001 through June 2005, when the Bureau had 153 full-time equivalent employees, including 90 certified social workers. The Bureau provides some program services, but most services are provided through contractors with an estimated 500 full-time equivalent employees in 2004.
We identified concerns with the Bureau's oversight of these contractors. For example, contractors have not reported on the services they provided to families, as required by their contracts. We also reviewed the appropriateness and reasonableness of costs that contractors charged to the program in 2004. We found $677,694 in unallowable and questioned costs charged by six contractors, including payment of a $541,604 duplicate reimbursement request submitted by one contractor.
A significant problem hampering effective program management is staff turnover. In 2004, turnover was 10.9 percent among the Bureau's social workers. Among contract staff, turnover was significantly higher and ranged from 25.5 percent for those serving families whose children remained in the home to 38.6 percent for those serving families whose children were removed from the home. We include a number of recommendations related to improving oversight of contractors and program funds, staff retention, and staff training.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DHFS and the child welfare contractors. DHFS's response follows the appendices.
Sincerely,
JANICE MUELLER
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
February 2, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
In compliance with Wisconsin statute 16.548, please find the Wisconsin Office of Federal/State Relations quarterly report to be submitted to the Legislature for the fourth quarter of 2005. This report provides information on the activities of the office and the status of federal legislation of concern to the state of Wisconsin.
Please contact me if you have any questions about this material.
Sincerely,
STEPHEN E. BABLITCH
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Department of Revenue
February 6, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am submitting the quarterly report of the Wisconsin Lottery for the quarter ending December 31, 2005. As required by s.
565.37(3), Wis. Stats., the attached materials contain unaudited Wisconsin Lottery year to date Revenue and Expenditure information.
This past quarter had the second highest quarterly sales ever for the Wisconsin Lottery and puts us on track to exceed last year's contributions toward property tax relief.
The information reported here is a summary and is not intended to be a complete financial accounting of Wisconsin Lottery operations.
S588
If you have any questions or comments regarding this report, please feel free to contact me at (608) 266-6466.
Sincerely,
MICHAEL L. MORGAN
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Department of Transportation
February 3, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
Enclosed is the report required under Act 280, to study the costs and benefits of integrating the computer linkup between the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS), the Department of Public instruction (DPI), and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to automate the searches of sex offender and caregiver abuse registry databases prior to issuing a school bus license.
Members of the team include: DOJ Deputy Director, Criminal Information Bureau, Phillip Collins; DHFS Information Resource Supervisor, Bureau of Quality Assurance, Richard Betz; DHFS IT Bureau of Information Systems, Grace Cudney; DHFS Manager, Development Sevices Section, Bureau of Information Systems, Josann jesberger; DHFS Supervisor of Care Giver Quality, Shari Busse; DPI, Director of School Management Services, Robert Soldner; DPI Application Development Manager, Tiffany Boyd; DOT, IS Systems Developer, Bureau of Information Technology, Jeffrey Dorner; DOT, Supervisor of Medical Review Unit, Bureau of Driver Services, Jill Reeve; and DOT, Program Chief, Qualification and Issuance Section, Bureau of Driver Services, Karen Schwartz.
This report contains the options available for integration of the databases and estimated costs associated with each option. Please forward this report, as you feel appropriate to any interested parties.
If you have any questions regarding this report, please contact Karen Schwartz, Chief of the Qualifications and Issuance Section, Bureau of Driver Services, at (608) 266-0054, or Jill Reeve, Supervisor of the Medical Review Unit at (608) 264-7393.
Sincerely,
FRANK J. BUSALACCI
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Department of Corrections
February 8, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
As required under Section
301.03(6r) of the Wisconsin Statutes, I am submitting information relative to the number of prisoners that the Department of Corrections considers violent and the total number of prisoners.
On November 30, 2005 the Department had 22,657 adult inmates assigned to Type "1" prisons in state and in contract facilities in and out of the state. Out of the 22,657 inmates, 13,944 or 66.4 percent had violent offences.
Sincerely,
MATTHEW J. FRANK
Secretary
executive order #138
Relating to a Proclamation that the Flag of the United States and the Flag of the State of Wisconsin be Flown at Half-Staff in Remembrance of Coretta Scott King
WHEREAS, on January 30, 2006, Coretta Scott King passed away at the age of seventy-eight; and
WHEREAS, Coretta Scott King was a leader of the civil rights movement, who kept martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream alive after his assassination; and
WHEREAS, the President has directed that the flag of the United States be lowered to half-staff at all public buildings and grounds in honor of Coretta Scott King on Tuesday, February 7, 2006, the day of her internment;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIM DOYLE, Governor of the State of Wisconsin, by the authority vested in me by Federal and State law, do hereby order that the flag of the United States and the flag of the State of Wisconsin shall be flown at half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations of the State of Wisconsin equipped with such flags beginning at sunrise on Tuesday, February 7, 2006, and ending at sunset on that date
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin to be affixed. Done at the Capitol in the city of Madison this seventh day of February in the year two thousand and six.
JIM DOYLE
Governor
By the governor:
DOUGLAS LA FOLLETTE
Secretary of State
__________________
Senate substitute amendment 1 to Senate Bill 435 offered by Senator Kanavas.
Senate substitute amendment 2 to Senate Bill 448 offered by Senator Olsen.
Senate amendment 1 to Senate Bill 563 offered by Senator Kanavas.
Senate substitute amendment 1 to Senate Bill 578 offered by Senator Kanavas.
__________________
The Chief Clerk records:
Senate Bill 112
Senate Bill 253
Senate Bill 429
Senate Bill 481
Report correctly enrolled on February 8, 2006.
__________________
Corrections In:
TO 2005 SENATE BILL 450
Prepared by the Legislative Reference Bureau
(February 8, 2006)
1. Page 28, line 21: delete "prime prime" and substitute "prime".
