Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Ninety-Seventh Regular Session
The Chief Clerk makes the following entries under the above date.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
November 14, 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 third quarter of 2006. 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
Legislative Audit Bureau
November 14, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
As requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, we have completed an evaluation of state efforts to manage chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease of deer. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is responsible for coordinating CWD management in the wild deer population. Farm-raised deer are the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). The Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory provides CWD testing and carcass disposal services, while the Department of Health and Family Services investigates possible effects on human health. Through fiscal year (FY) 2005-06, these agencies spent $32.3 million managing the disease.
DNR has developed several strategies to manage CWD, within the geographic areas in which infected deer are known to live, which are known as CWD zones. They include altering the length and rules of hunting seasons, establishing a ban on baiting and feeding deer, using sharpshooters, and creating monetary incentives for hunters to shoot more deer.
To date, DNR's efforts to eradicate CWD in the free-ranging deer population have not been effective. Neither the estimated number of deer in CWD zones nor the percentage infected with CWD has decreased. In addition, fewer deer have been killed in the CWD zones: the number declined from 23.1 deer per square mile in the 2003 hunting season to 17.4 deer per square mile in the 2005 hunting season.
In an October 2006 report to the Natural Resources Board, DNR conceded the need to modify its management efforts to more effectively address CWD. We include options for DNR and the Legislature to more effectively address the disease and control costs in the future.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by staff of DNR, other state agencies, and interest groups. DNR's response follows the report.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction
November 16, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
In accordance with ss.
115.28 (39) and
115.361 (2), Wis. Stats., the Department of Public Instruction submits this report relating to alcohol and other drug abuse programs in public schools. The report provides an evaluation of its 2004-2006 school-based alcohol and other drug abuse (AODA) prevention and intervention initiatives. The department's AODA program consists of grant-making, training, and technical assistance.
If you have any questions regarding this document, please contact Douglas White, Director, at 266-5198.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Burmaster
State Superintendent
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
November 20, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Under section 16.43, Wisconsin Statutes, the Department of Administration must submit certain budget information to you by November 20 of even-numbered years. This letter transmits a summary of agency budget requests for the next two fiscal years and the Department of Revenue's general purpose tax revenue estimates for the current fiscal year (fiscal year 2006-07) and the next two fiscal years (fiscal year 2007-08 and fiscal year 2008-09). It also includes the base budget review reports required under section 16.423, Wisconsin Statutes, for one-third of all state agencies.
If you have any questions on this information, please contact me or State Budget Director David Schmiedicke.
Sincerely,
Stephen E. Bablitch
Secretary
Ethics Board
November 21, 2006
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 2005-2006 session of the legislature, visit the Ethics Board's web site at
http://ethics.state.wi.us
Hubbard, Gregory Apple Computer, Inc.
Leonard, Ramie Apple Computer, Inc.
Rossmiller, Daniel Wisconsin Association of School Boards Inc
Wilson, John D Northern States Power d/b/a Xcel Energy
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
