Senator, 4th Senate District
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Read first time and referred:
Senate Bill 351
Relating to: requirements before a sale or other transfer of a manufactured and mobile home community, providing an exemption from the real estate transfer fee, and providing a penalty.
By
Senators
Erpenbach and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Roys, Berceau, Jorgensen and Pope-Roberts.
To committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing.
Senate Bill 352
Relating to: the jurisdictional amount and court fees in certain small claims actions.
By
Senators
Erpenbach, Wirch, Holperin, Olsen, Schultz and Hansen; cosponsored by Representatives Hebl, Sherman, Berceau and Pope-Roberts.
To committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing.
Senate Bill 353
Relating to: federalizing the treatment of capital losses.
By
Senators
Kedzie, Darling, Olsen and A. Lasee; cosponsored by Representatives J. Ott, Petrowski, Kestell, Gunderson, A. Ott, Kaufert, Ripp, Mursau, Kerkman, LeMahieu, Townsend, Nygren, Gundrum, Honadel, Bies, Spanbauer, Nass, Ballweg, Lothian, Knodl, Ziegelbauer, Suder, Vos and Strachota.
To committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue.
Senate Bill 354
Relating to: substitutions by pharmacists dispensing epilepsy drugs.
By
Senators
Erpenbach, Lassa, Hansen, Risser and Taylor; cosponsored by Representatives Benedict, Pasch, Berceau, Bies, Parisi, Pope-Roberts, Sinicki, Townsend, Turner, Steinbrink, Van Akkeren and A. Ott.
To committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue.
Senate Bill 355
Relating to: prohibiting electronic text messaging while driving and providing a penalty.
By
Senators
Lehman, A. Lasee, Hansen, Olsen, Carpenter, Harsdorf, Cowles, Taylor, Darling and Schultz; cosponsored by Representatives Barca, Turner, Bernard Schaber, Zigmunt, Steinbrink, A. Ott, Clark, Sinicki, Bies, Pasch, Hilgenberg, Petrowski, Hixson, Hintz, Radcliffe, Kerkman, Benedict, Mason, Gunderson, Black, Hebl, Brooks, Cullen, Berceau, Hubler, Lothian, Krusick, Van Roy, Van Akkeren and Toles.
To committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.
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The committee on Senate Organization reports:
Referred to the joint committee on
Finance, pursuant to Senate Rule
41 (1)(e):
Senate Bill 328
Ayes: 5 - Senators Decker, Risser, Hansen, Fitzgerald and Grothman.
Noes: 0 - None.
RUSS DECKER
Chairperson
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State of Wisconsin
Office of the Senate President
October
16
, 2009
The Honorable, the Senate:
Pursuant to Wisconsin Statute 15.205 (4), I am appointing Senator Julie Lassa to the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Most Sincerely,
FRED A. RISSER
Senate President
State of Wisconsin
Government Accountability Board
October 13, 2009
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 2009-2010 session of the legislature, visit the Government Accountability Board's web site at:
Kraft, Debra Community Advocates, Inc.
Rasch, Christopher Wisconsin Medical Society
Smith, Jim Northern States Power d/b/a Xcel Energy
Also available from the Wisconsin Government Accountability 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,
kevin kennedy
Director and General Counsel
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State of Wisconsin
Office of State Employee Relations
October 15, 2009
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to forward the Fiscal Year 2009 report on employment of customers of the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program. Included in this report are the number of W-2 job seekers employed by each state agency and the classification of each position filled from July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. Of the 1,994 new hires to state employment, 110 or 5.5 percent were W-2 hires. This exceeds the state's hiring goal of 2 percent.
Attached is a copy of the W-2 Hiring Report. Please contact Claire Dehnert at (608) 267-1005 or email
Claire.dehnert@wisconsin.gov if you have questions or need additional information regarding this report.
Sincerely,
jennifer donnelly
Director
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State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
October 15, 2009
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed financial audits of Mendota and Winnebago Mental Health Institutes for the period July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. The audits were requested by the Department of Health Services (DHS). We were able to express an unqualified opinion on each Institute's financial statements.
Mendota and Winnebago Mental Health Institutes are licensed and accredited hospitals that provide specialized diagnostic, evaluation, and treatment services for mentally ill children and adults. The Institutes also provide services to forensic patients referred to them through the criminal justice system. The Institutes are funded through a mix of general purpose revenue and program revenue.
The Institutes reported mixed financial results for fiscal year 2007-08. Mendota reported a $0.6 million gain in net assets, primarily as a result of increased settlements from the federal government. Winnebago reported a $2.5 million loss in net assets because it did not generate enough revenue to cover its expenses.
The cash balance in the Institutes' primary program revenue appropriation has been declining over the past five years. To address this decline, DHS approved increases in daily patient rates of 9.5 percent at both Institutes effective October 1, 2009. This follows rate increases of 9.5 percent at Mendota and 11.0 percent at Winnebago that were effective in October 2008.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DHS staff during our audit.
Sincerely,
janice mueller
State Auditor
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The committee on Veterans and Military Affairs, Biotechnology, and Financial Institutions reports and recommends:
Relating to the transition from a registration system to a license system under subch.III, ch.
224, Stats., branch offices, mortgage broker agreements, surety bonds and trade names.
No action taken.
Jim Sullivan
Chairperson