20. Self-Funded Portal Administrative Rules
Sections 189r and 190
These sections authorize the Department of Administration to enter into and enforce agreements with individuals to provide information technology services, as well as charge individuals for those services. These sections also require the department to promulgate administrative rules for any fees that would be assessed to individuals for information technology services related to the portal.
I am partially vetoing these sections because it is administratively burdensome to promulgate rules for each potential fee, especially as these fees will be voluntary, not mandatory. I will, however, direct the department to identify any new fees established for individuals when posting notices that new electronic government services are available.
21. Information Technology Infrastructure Transfers
Sections 188m, 200 [as it relates to s. 20.505 (1) (kk)], 424, 426m and 427 These sections permit the transfer of positions, equipment or systems associated with information technology infrastructure from any executive branch agency to the Department of Administration, if a joint request is submitted to and approved by the Joint Committee on Finance under 14-day passive review. The provision also specifies data that must be included in any request and establishes an appropriation to receive assessments received from agencies for the provision of these infrastructure services.
I am vetoing sections 188m and 426m and partially vetoing sections 200 [as it relates to s. 20.505 (1) (kk)], 424 and 427 because they are unnecessary and will impede the ability of the executive branch to manage state government operations in the most efficient and effective way possible. Consolidation of information technology infrastructure at the Department of Administration will save money and positions in individual agencies and improve services such as disaster recovery, 24/7 support and network security without a negative impact on privacy. The Division of Enterprise Technology already provides services to over 21,000 users and will use this expertise, as well as the ability to leverage economies of scale on hardware and software purchases and enterprisewide licensing. I will direct the department, in consultation with the information technology executive steering committee, to proceed with the information technology infrastructure services consolidation through memoranda of understanding with additional executive branch agencies. The department can include a request to formalize those agreements in the 2015-17 biennial budget. 22. Prison Industries Procurements
Sections 114b, 114bd and 9301 (1e)
These sections specify that for furniture enumerated in the Department of Corrections' Badger State Industries list, the price must be comparable to, rather than equal to or lower than, the price that may be obtained through a competitive bid or sealed proposal.
I am vetoing this provision because I believe that this change has the potential to provide an unfair advantage to Badger State Industries compared to the private sector. My veto will retain current law and retain the appropriate balance between supporting prison industries and the private sector.
23. Division of Facilities Development Fee
Section 155m
This section directs the Division of Facilities Development within the Department of Administration to charge a fee to state agencies for the building program that is based on the division's budgeted expenditures rather than 4 percent of each building project budget as it has been done for decades.
I am vetoing this section because the modification to the fee methodology will make it administratively much more difficult for the division to effectively oversee the state's building program. The division needs the flexibility to bill the fee after the design and bidding phases of the project have been completed and the project is set to enter the construction phase. Particularly for larger, more complex building projects, completion of the design and bid phases may not coincide with the biennium in which the project is approved, which makes it difficult to pinpoint an exact bidding and contract date and assign a project to a specific fiscal year. In addition, under the current methodology, agencies have a clear understanding of the size of the fee, as opposed to an allocation that may change as projects are resized or rescheduled.
24. Study of Public Library System Efficiencies
Section 9101 (3L)
This section requires the Department of Administration, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction, to conduct a study to identify potential savings in public library systems through consolidation, technology, efficiencies, LEAN practices and service sharing. Under the section, the Department of Administration is required to submit a report on the study to the Joint Committee on Finance by July 1, 2014.
I am vetoing this section because it is unnecessary. The Department of Public Instruction is the appropriate agency to conduct such a study and has the ability to do so, without a legislative directive, if it believes a study is warranted.
25. Report Requirement Related to Overweight Permits for Raw Forest Products
Section 2175i
Section 2175i requires the Department of Transportation to submit a report regarding the impact of overweight permits issued for the transport of raw forest products under s. 348.27 (9), including information on the number of permits issued, accidents involving permitted vehicles and the economic impacts of these permitted vehicles. I am vetoing this section to remove this reporting requirement because it is burdensome to the department and is duplicative of multiple studies that have been conducted on potential changes to the size and weight limits of commercial vehicles in the state.
26. Relocation of Outdoor Advertising Signs
Sections 1556m, 1556n, 1556p, 1556q, 1556r, 1556s, 1556t, 9345 (7c) and 9445 (7c)
These provisions replace the term "realignment" with the term "relocation" in the case of nonconforming outdoor advertising signs that are moved in the course of a highway construction project; allow the sign to be moved to another location within the jurisdiction of the city, village or town in which the sign is located; and specify that relocation of a sign does not change the sign's status with respect to local ordinances. Additionally, the provisions require any relocated sign to be the same size and maintain the same height with respect to the highway grade as the original sign. Finally, the provisions specify that a relocated sign must meet all departmental requirements for sign permits.
I am vetoing these provisions because they would result in increased highway project costs related to the relocation of nonconforming outdoor advertising signs and create the potential for significant project delays that result from litigation related to the relocation of these signs.
27. Highway Signage—Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help
Section 9145 (9w)
Section 9145 (9w) requires the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain two directional signs for the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help on the northbound and southbound lanes of STH 57 in Brown County. This section further requires the installation of these signs notwithstanding statutory or administrative rule prohibitions
regarding sign placement.
I am vetoing this section because these signs are expressly exempted from sign placement standards. In addition, I object to this provision because its requirements circumvent the established application and administrative process for determining the placement and approval of highway signage, including criteria regarding the entity responsible for the cost of erecting and maintaining the signs.
28. Highway Signage—Milwaukee Central Library
Section 1581t
Section 1581t requires the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs entitled "Historic Milwaukee Public Library" on both Interstate 43 and Interstate 794 in Milwaukee County. This signage is intended to alert motorists of the location of the Milwaukee Central Library. The section also prohibits the department from charging any
fee related to erecting or maintaining these signs.
I am vetoing this section because it circumvents the established application and administrative process for determining the placement and approval of highway signage, including criteria regarding the entity responsible for the cost of erecting and maintaining these signs.
29. Speech Language Pathologist and Audiologist Fees
Sections 2179g, 2179r, 2183d, 2187am, 2187b and 2230m
These sections set speech language pathologist and audiologist credential renewal fees at $75 biennially.
I am vetoing these sections because I object to the practice of singling out certain credential fees in statute. These sections prevent the Department of Safety and Professional Services from setting renewal fees according to the department's administrative and enforcement costs attributable to the regulation of these occupations, as is current practice. Moreover, credentialing fees will be examined as part of the study of the department and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
identified in section 9101 (3s) of the bill and any adjustments to fees should be evaluated as part of that study.
30. Transfer Special Counsel Appropriation
Section 379m
This section transfers the GPR special counsel appropriation from the Department of Justice to the Department of Administration. This section also converts the GPR special counsel appropriation from a sum sufficient appropriation to a biennial appropriation.
I am partially vetoing this section because I object to the conversion of the sum sufficient appropriation to a biennial appropriation. I am concerned that the conversion of the appropriation from a sum sufficient to a biennial appropriation will provide insufficient flexibility to fund program costs.
31. Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Section 585m
This section prohibits the Board of Regents from allowing the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism to occupy facilities owned or leased by the board. It also prohibits University of Wisconsin System and University of Wisconsin-Madison employees from performing work related to the center as part of their duties.
I am vetoing this section because it targets a single organization. The use of taxpayer-supported facilities by private or quasi-public organizations, as well as use of staff time in support of these organizations, is an issue of concern. Therefore, I am directing the Board of Regents to develop a systemwide policy related to the use of University of Wisconsin facilities and staff time by outside organizations.
32. Sale of Department of Natural Resources Land
Section 509z
This provision requires the Department of Natural Resources, no later than June 30, 2017, to offer for sale at least 10,000 acres of department property located outside the Stewardship property boundaries established as of May 1, 2013, and to sell at least 250 acres of productive agricultural land annually through fiscal year 2019-20 and specify that the land must remain in use as productive farmland in perpetuity.
Proceeds from the sale of the land must be used to repay any outstanding public debt (including debt issued under the Stewardship Program) and pay the federal government any of the proceeds as required by federal law. Any sale of land received through gifts and grants must adhere to any restrictions governing the use of the proceeds.
I am partially vetoing this provision to eliminate the specific reference to the sale of productive agricultural land. I object to the requirement to sell a specified amount of productive agricultural land annually as it may put a burden on the department to sell land at a below-market price. Instead, I am directing the department to offer for sale productive agricultural land as part of the provision to offer for sale the acres outside of the Stewardship property boundaries.
33. Report on Deletion of Positions in the Department of Natural Resources
Section 9101 (3u)
This provision requires the Department of Administration to provide a report by January 1, 2014, to the Joint Committee on Finance for the Committee's review and approval under a 14-day passive review identifying 32.1 FTE positions in the
Department of Natural Resources to be deleted, which includes 7.8 FTE GPR positions, 9.1 FTE FED positions, 4.0 FTE PR positions and 11.2 FTE SEG positions.
