The Honorable, The Legislature:
Please find the attached Tax Appeals Commission 2007-2009 Biennial Report. This report also is posted on the Commission's webpage at
www.wisbar.org and is submitted to you pursuant to Wis. Stat. s.
15.04(1)(d). If you have any questions or comments regarding the report, please contact me at the Commission's office at 608-266-1391. Thank you.
Sincerely,
david c. swanson
Chairperson
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
November 10, 2009
The Honorable, The Legislature:
As requested by the Public Service Commission (PSC), we have completed a financial audit of the Universal Service Fund (USF), which was established to ensure that all Wisconsin residents receive essential telecommunications services and have access to advanced telecommunications capabilities. The USF is funded primarily through assessments the PSC levies on providers of telecommunications services, which may be fully recovered from consumers. In fiscal year (FY) 2007-08, provider assessments totaled $31.6 million.
Eight of 14 programs supported by the USF during the period we audited are operated by the PSC. However, the largest program supported by the USF in FY 2007-08 was the Educational Telecommunications Access Program, which is administered by the Department of Administration. That program subsidizes data lines and video links for eligible educational institutions and entities such as public libraries and had expenditures of $14.6 million. The USF also provided $14.0 million in FY 2007-08 to fund Aid to Public Library Systems, a program administered by the Department of Public Instruction; funded three other programs administered by that agency; and helped to fund access to voice, data, and video services for four-year University of Wisconsin System campuses.
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In past audits, we noted that the USF's fund balance had increased steadily because revenue from provider assessments exceeded program expenditures. In contrast, FY 2007-08 expenditures exceeded revenues by $5.6 million. The resulting decline in the fund balance is largely attributable to increased reliance on the USF as a funding source for public libraries. In FY 2008-09 the USF became the sole funding source for Aid to Public Library Systems, and the current biennial budget requires it to provide $16.2 million in funding for that program in FY 2009-10 and $16.7 million in FY 2010-11.
Our audit report contains our unqualified opinion on the USF's financial statements for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2008, and June 30, 2007. Our Report on Internal Control and Compliance includes a recommendation for the Department of Administration to ensure the accuracy of copayment billings for institutions participating in the Educational Telecommunications Access Program.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by staff at the PSC, the Department of Administration, the Department of Public Instruction, the University of Wisconsin System, and the USF's administrator, Wipfli LLP.
Sincerely,
janice mueller
State Auditor
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Government Accountability Board
November 10, 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:
Schreiber, Martin Public Parks Alliance, Inc.
Rabbitt, James CooperativeNetwork Association
Schoof, Susan Can Manufacturers Institute
Cook, Andrew Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic
Association
Osborne, Patrick Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic
Association
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
__________________
Assembly Bill
110
Relating to: access to employment records of candidates for law enforcement positions.
By Representatives Hraychuck, Townsend, Murtha, LeMahieu, Spanbauer, Gunderson, A. Ott, Kleefisch and Mursau; cosponsored by Senators Leibham, Cowles, Taylor and Olsen.
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing.
Assembly Bill
159
Relating to: the charge-back of refunded or rescinded taxes and of personal property taxes and sharing certain collected taxes.
By Representatives Hixson, Berceau, Benedict, Fields, Seidel, Kestell, Townsend, Ballweg and Davis; cosponsored by Senators Robson, Olsen and Grothman.
Read first time and referred to committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue.
Assembly Bill
173
Relating to: the method by which the Department of Revenue makes certain calculations regarding tax incremental financing district number 4 in the village of Elmwood.
By Representative
Murtha
; cosponsored by Senator Harsdorf
.
Read first time and referred to committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue.
Assembly Bill
198
Relating to: highway maps published by the Department of Transportation.
By Representatives Vruwink, Hilgenberg, Turner, Berceau, Jorgensen, Milroy, Barca, Pope-Roberts, A. Williams, Zepnick, Townsend, Lothian and Bies; cosponsored by Senators Hansen, Taylor, Lassa, Lehman, Erpenbach, Olsen and Schultz.
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.
Assembly Bill
230
Relating to: electronic access by law enforcement agencies to photographs on motor vehicle operators licenses and identification cards.
By Representatives Hraychuck, Rhoades, Shilling, Montgomery, Brooks, Berceau, Van Akkeren, Danou, Gottlieb, LeMahieu, Townsend, Huebsch, Pridemore, Lothian, Gundrum, A. Ott, Jorgensen, Spanbauer, Steinbrink, Dexter, Kaufert, Murtha, Ripp and Bies; cosponsored by Senators Lehman, Olsen, Harsdorf, Leibham, Schultz, Darling and A. Lasee.
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.
Assembly Bill
241
Relating to: retail theft, proof of ownership for flea market sales, and providing penalties.
By Representatives Danou, Turner, Jorgensen, Pasch, Kestell, Van Roy, Brooks, Lothian, Kerkman, Staskunas, A. Ott, Steinbrink, Zepnick, Kleefisch, Kaufert, Bies and Hebl; cosponsored by Senators Taylor, Sullivan, Kreitlow, Holperin, Lassa, Wirch, Harsdorf and Darling.
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing.
Assembly Bill
267
S418
Relating to: licenses and limited X-ray machine operator permits to engage in the practice of radiography, creating a radiography examining board, granting rule-making authority, and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
By Representatives Berceau, Benedict, Pasch, Van Roy, A. Ott, Barca, Turner, Hintz, Zepnick, Jorgensen, Staskunas, Mason, Lothian, Vruwink and Parisi; cosponsored by Senators Lehman, Taylor, Olsen, Risser, Robson, Darling and Coggs.
Read first time and referred to committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue.
Assembly Bill
269
Relating to: causing injury to a law enforcement officer while resisting or obstructing an officer or while attempting to flee and providing a penalty.
By Representatives Danou, Milroy, Brooks, Kerkman, Bies, Sinicki, Kaufert, Jorgensen, Townsend, Zigmunt, Smith, Berceau, Soletski, Hraychuck, Zepnick, Dexter, Clark and Spanbauer; cosponsored by Senators Sullivan, Kreitlow, Plale, Carpenter, Kapanke and Schultz.
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing.
Assembly Bill
280
Relating to: seizure of a computer used to commit a crime and providing a penalty.
By Representatives Van Akkeren, Kerkman, Staskunas, Spanbauer, Gunderson, Suder, Bies and LeMahieu; cosponsored by Senators Leibham and Olsen.
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing.
Assembly Bill
348
Relating to: the applicability of rules of the road to private roads located in manufactured and mobile home communities.
By Representative
Parisi
; cosponsored by Senator Miller
.
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.
Assembly Bill
362
Relating to: designating and marking the bridge on USH 41 across the Peshtigo River in the city of Peshtigo as the Steven Drees Memorial Bridge.
By Representative
Nygren
; cosponsored by Senator Hansen
.
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.
Assembly Bill
382
Relating to: fishing licenses issued to disabled veterans.
By Representatives Hilgenberg, Sinicki, Clark, Pridemore, Zigmunt, Brooks, Hubler, Benedict, Berceau, Meyer, Pope-Roberts, Kaufert, Hebl, Milroy, Zepnick, Lothian, Townsend, Gunderson, Nerison, Turner, Hraychuck, Strachota, Seidel, Pasch and Petrowski; cosponsored by Senators Carpenter, Miller, Lazich, Kreitlow, Lehman, Grothman, Hopper, Lassa, Wirch, Darling, Schultz, Coggs and Taylor.
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources.
Assembly Bill
403
Relating to: local government property insurance fund premiums.
By Representatives Barca, Hubler, Jorgensen, Hixson, Zigmunt, Hilgenberg, Clark, Garthwaite, Seidel, Mason, Staskunas, Kerkman, Berceau, Pope-Roberts, Zepnick, Smith, Dexter, Petrowski, Van Roy, A. Williams, Hraychuck, Fields, Bernard Schaber, Mursau, Turner, Pasch, Shilling, Nygren, Roys and Hintz; cosponsored by Senators Vinehout, Lehman, Wirch, Holperin, Hansen, Erpenbach, Harsdorf, Taylor, Carpenter, Coggs, Robson and Grothman.
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing.
Assembly Bill
455
Relating to: the testing of portable scales used for the enforcement of vehicle weight limitations.
By Representatives Steinbrink, Turner, Soletski and A. Ott; cosponsored by Senators Holperin and Taylor.
Read first time and referred to committee on Agriculture and Higher Education.
