The Assembly met in the Assembly Chamber located in the State Capitol.
Speaker Huebsch in the chair.
Representative J. Fitzgerald asked unanimous consent for a quorum call. Granted.
A quorum was present.
The prayer was offered by Representative LeMahieu.
Representative Zepnick led the membership in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
The roll was taken.
The result follows:
Present - Representatives Albers, Ballweg, Benedict, Berceau, Bies, Black, Boyle, Colon, Cullen, Davis, Fields, J. Fitzgerald, Friske, Garthwaite, Gottlieb, Gronemus, Gunderson, Gundrum, Hahn, Hebl, Hilgenberg, Hines, Hintz, Hixson, Honadel, Hraychuck, Hubler, Jeskewitz, Jorgensen, Kaufert, Kerkman, Kessler, Kestell, Kleefisch, Kramer, Kreuser, Krusick, F. Lasee, LeMahieu, Lothian, Mason, Meyer, Molepske, Montgomery, Mursau, Murtha, Musser, Nass, Nelson, Nerison, Newcomer, Nygren, A. Ott, J. Ott, Owens, Parisi, Petersen, Petrowski, Pocan, Pope-Roberts, Pridemore, Rhoades, Richards, Roth, Schneider, Seidel, Sheridan, Sherman, Shilling, Sinicki, Smith, Soletski, Staskunas, Steinbrink, Stone, Strachota, Suder, Tauchen, Toles, Townsend, Travis, Turner, Van Akkeren, Van Roy, Vos, Vruwink, Vukmir, Wasserman, Wieckert, A. Williams, M. Williams, Wood, Young, Zepnick, Ziegelbauer, Zipperer and Speaker Huebsch - 97.
Absent with leave - Representatives Grigsby and Moulton - 2.
Vacancies - None.
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Representative Honadel asked unanimous consent for a leave of absence for today's session for Representative Moulton. Granted.
Representative Staskunas asked unanimous consent for a leave of absence for today's session for Representative Grigsby. Granted.
__________________
Representative Honadel asked unanimous consent for a leave of absence for part of today's session for Representatives Jeskewitz, Montgomery and J. Ott. Granted.
Representative Staskunas asked unanimous consent for a leave of absence for part of today's session for Representatives Sheridan, Steinbrink and A. Williams. Granted.
__________________
Assembly amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 15 offered by Representative Schneider.
__________________
Read first time and referred:
Assembly Bill 55
Relating to: the qualifications of newspapers permitted to publish legal notices and allowing mailing of legal notices instead of publishing.
By
Representatives Jeskewitz, Owens, Kerkman, Lothian, Vos, Stone, Honadel, Mursau, Ballweg, Kestell, Smith and A. Ott.
To committee on State Affairs
.
__________________
Relating to unemployment insurance and temporary help employers and affecting small businesses.
Submitted by Department of Workforce Development.
Report received from Agency, January 19, 2007.
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To committee on
Labor and Industry
.
Referred on January 31, 2007.
Relating to continuing education waivers.
Submitted by Department of Regulation and Licensing.
Report received from Agency, January 22, 2007.
To committee on Health and Healthcare Reform
.
Referred on January 31, 2007.
Relating to examinations, endorsement, delegation, TPA/DPA, renewal and continuing education relating to optometrists.
Submitted by Department of Regulation and Licensing.
Report received from Agency, January 22, 2007.
To committee on Health and Healthcare Reform
.
Referred on January 31, 2007.
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Communications
January 31, 2007
Patrick Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
17 West Main Street, Suite 401
Madison, WI 53708
Dear Chief Clerk Fuller:
Please add me as a co-author to Assembly Joint Resolution 1. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jim Ott
State Representative
23rd Assembly District
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Revisor of Statutes Bureau
Madison
DATE: February 1, 2007
TO: Patrick E. Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
Robert Marchant
Senate Chief Clerk
FROM: Gary L. Poulson
Assistant Revisor of Statutes
SUBJECT: Rule published in the January 31, 2006,
Wisconsin Administrative
Register, No. 613.
The following rule has been published:
__________________
Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Office of State Employment Relations
Madison
January 2007
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Pursuant to s.
230.04(9)(em), Wis, Stats., I am pleased to submit the 2006 Veterans Employment Report. The report summarizes veteran new hires and on‐board statistics for the time period from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, and includes information for each state agency and each institution of the University of Wisconsin System.
Veterans comprise an important segment of the Wisconsin workforce in both the private and public sectors. State government‐and any other employer‐can benefit greatly by recruiting and retaining our nation's trained and motivated veterans.
Sincerely,
Karen E. Timberlake
Director
Referred to committee on Veterans and Military Affairs.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
Madison
January 30, 2007
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
This report is transmitted as required by s.
20.002(11)(f), Wisconsin Statutes, (for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s.
13.172(3), Wisconsin Statutes, 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 cash balances during the month of December 2006.
On December 5, 2006, the General Fund cash balance closed at a negative $333.0 million. This negative balance continued through December 28, 2006, when the fund's cash balance closed at a positive $116.5 million. The General Fund cash balance reached its intra‐month low of a negative $547.0 million on December 7, 2006. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On December 1, 2006, the Medical Assistance Trust Fund cash balance closed at a negative $8.5 million. This negative balance continued through December 31, 2006, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $5.4 million. The Medical Assistance Trust Fund cash balance reached its intra‐month low of a negative $8.5 million on December 1, 2006.
2005 Wisconsin Act 211 authorizes the fiscal year 2007 transfer of $25.4 million from the General Fund to the Medical Assistance Trust Fund, which will offset this cash deficiency.
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On December 1, 2006, the Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund cash balance closed at a negative $1.0 thousand. This negative balance continued through December 31, 2006, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $1.0 thousand. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On December 27, 2006, the Wisconsin Building Trust Fund cash balance closed at a negative $1.3 million. This negative balance continued through December 31, 2006, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $1.6 million. The Wisconsin Building Trust Fund cash balance reached its intra‐month low of a negative $1.6 million on December 29, 2006. The negative balance was due to a delayed cash transfer from the University of Wisconsin.
On December 1, 2006, the Worker's Compensation Fund cash balance closed at a negative $2.8 million. This negative balance continued through December 31, 2006, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $3.5 million. The Worker's Compensation Fund cash balance reached its intra‐month low of a negative $3.5 million on December 6, 2006. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.