Carol Roessler
Chairperson
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April
19
, 2006
To the Honorable, the Senate:
The following bill(s), originating in the Senate, have been approved, signed and deposited in the office of the Secretary of State:
Bill Number Act Number
Date Approved
Senate Bill 579 Act
351
April 18
, 2006
Senate Bill 181 Act
353
April 19
, 2006
Senate Bill 157 Act
354
April 19
, 2006
Senate Bill 312 Act
355
April 19
, 2006
Senate Bill 515 Act
358
April 19
, 2006
Senate Bill 467 Act
360
April 19
, 2006
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Secretary of State
To the Honorable, the Senate:
Bill Number Act Number
Publication Date
Senate Bill 161 Act
325
April 28
, 2006
Senate Bill 329 Act
326
April 28
, 2006
Senate Bill 596 Act
328
April 28
, 2006
Senate Bill 592 Act
332
April 28
, 2006
Senate Bill 591 Act
334
April 28
, 2006
Senate Bill 352 Act
335
April 28
, 2006
Senate Bill 375 Act
336
April 28
, 2006
Sincerely,
DOUGLAS LA FOLLETTE
Secretary of State
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 18, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am vetoing Senate Bill 68. This bill permits schools to choose not to comply with the requirement to reduce class sizes in grades two or three or both and to forego aid under the SAGE program for students in those classes. This provision would apply to just those districts in which no more than 50 percent of the student enrollment is comprised of pupils who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. If a school were to choose to not reduce class size and forego aid for students in grades two or three or both, that school would still be eligible for the current law payment under the SAGE program for students in grades in which it continued to reduce class size.
The bill also creates a new, sum sufficient special education aid supplemental appropriation. The appropriation amount would be equal to the amounts lapsed to the general fund in the previous fiscal year from the SAGE appropriation. The funds would be used for the payment of aids for special education and school age parent programs, to be distributed in the same manner as under current law. In effect, funds appropriated for the SAGE program that go unexpended as a result of districts opting out of the class reduction requirements of the SAGE program for grades two, three, or both, would be used for special education and school age parent programs.
As Governor, I have been forced to use my veto pen on more than one occasion to defend the SAGE small class size program against attacks by the Legislature, and I will do so again today. This bill lets schools take small class size funding without actually reducing class sizes. That makes no sense. Every parent and every teacher knows that one of the best things you can do for a child's education is to put them in a classroom with fewer students. Moreover, research shows that the positive outcomes associated with reduced class sizes are sustained only if class sizes remain reduced over consecutive years, in kindergarten through third grade. This bill is a cynical attack on the SAGE program that would result in more students being packed into larger classes in the early grades – a critical stage in their education.
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 18, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
S778
I am vetoing
Senate Bill 578. This bill would exempt from discovery records related to quality improvement activities by health care providers in civil actions and administrative proceedings and would provide immunity for acts and omissions to persons participating in quality improvement activities.
I am vetoing this bill because it is unnecessarily broad in defining what activities constitute a quality improvement activity and what records would be kept confidential. Patient advocates have raised concerns about adequate access to records needed to redress suspected wrongdoing. These concerns have not been fully resolved. Although I fully support efforts to improve health care quality and to promote the use of legitimate quality improvement activities, this bill goes too far in allowing providers to define and shield information and claim immunity in the name of quality improvement.
Current law provides that most records pertaining to peer review activities are shielded except when the release is explicitly authorized. Current law also provides immunity from civil actions to persons acting in good faith and participating in a peer review activity. The effect of this veto is to maintain the current definition and protection of peer review records and immunity for peer review activities contained in current law.
Efforts to reform peer review or quality improvement activities must balance provider protections with patients' and the public's right to information. This bill fails to strike the proper balance.
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
April 11, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
In accordance with s.
16.75(3m)(c)4, Wis. Stats., enclosed is the State of Wisconsin Minority Business Report for Fiscal Year 2005. The report provides information on state agency and University of Wisconsin purchasing with minority business enterprises certified by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. Highlights include the following:
• State agencies and the University of Wisconsin System made FY05 purchases with Wisconsin certified minority-owned businesses totaling $46,066,169, a 6.1% increase over FY04.
• For the eighteenth year in a row, the DOA Division of State Facilities architectural/engineering selection process exceeded the 5% MBE goal.
• The DOA Capital Finance Office achieved a minority-owned business participation rate of 8.7% on its sale of bonds and notes.
• The DOA Capital Finance Office and DNR expended 14.17% of Environment Improvement Funds through minority-owned firms.
• The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority expended 23.40% of its discretionary spending with minority-owned businesses.
State government appreciates its partnership with minority-owned businesses. We look forward to increasing purchasing with minority-owned firms in the months and years ahead.
Sincerely,
STEPHEN E. BABLITCH
Secretary
Referred to committee on Labor and Election Process Reform.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 17, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Bartell, Jeffrey,
of Middleton, as a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2013.
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Higher Education and Tourism.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 17, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Smith
, Brent,
of La Crosse, as a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2013.
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Higher Education and Tourism.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 17, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Wollman, Roberta,
of Jackson, as a member of the Real Estate Appraisers Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2007.
Sincerely,