By
Senators
Cowles, Burke and Farrow; cosponsored by Representatives Duff and Bock, by request of Governor Tommy G. Thompson.
To committee on Environment and Energy.
__________________
The committee on Senate Organization reports and recommends:
Senate Bill 289
Relating to: membership of the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System.
Passage.
Ayes, 6 - Senators Ellis, Rude, Farrow, Jauch, Risser and Moen.
Noes, 0 - None.
Michael Ellis
Chairperson
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Committee on Senate Organization
September 7, 1995
The Honorable, The Senate:
Pursuant to Senate Rule
20, I have made the following appointments to Joint Standing Committees:
Joint Finance: Senator Brian Burke and Senator Russell Decker
With regards to members of the Democratic party, the appointments reflect recommendations of that caucus.
Sincerely,
Senator Michael G. Ellis
Chair
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
September 13, 1995
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed a review of issues related to the effect of mandates on local school districts, as requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. Our efforts focused on developing information that may be of use in completing a future study of the effect of mandates on peer pupil expenditures, including determining the mandates of greatest concern to local officials.
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Although discussions about mandates often focus on the 20 standards delineated in s.
121.02, Wis. Stats., school districts are subject to a far larger number of federal and state requirements; state statutes alone delineate at least 280 such requirements. In addition to educational standards, these requirements address such things as safety, finance, and building maintenance.
Based on survey responses of 315 school board presidents and superintendents, it appears the great majority recognize that state mandates stem from the State's overall responsibility for education. However, there is widespread frustration with mandates and general agreement that additional funding and flexibility are needed. Those requirements about which concerns were most frequently expressed were the 20 standards, special education, and limits on district revenue increases.
Despite expressed concerns, we were unable to identify any existing model for efficiently measuring the fiscal effect of mandates, including the extent to which district expenditures are attributable to local initiatives rather than state or federal requirements. In addition, although some local officials offered to assist in the development of information necessary to complete such an analysis, others asserted that the need to develop or provide such information would be viewed as another state mandate.
Rather than develop information about expenditures that have already been incurred, it may be more practical to adopt strategies for measuring the costs of mandates in the future, particularly new mandates. The Legislature has, however, already taken some steps to address concerns about mandates, including increasing district flexibility and eliminating some mandates.
Sincerely,
Dale Cattanach
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
July 1995
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Pursuant to section 153.10(1), Wis. Stats., we are please to submit to the Governor and to the Legislature the quarterly Health Care Data Report. This report is based on hospital inpatient discharge data reported to the office of Health Care Information by all operating general medical-surgical and specialty hospitals in Wisconsin for the second quarter of 1994 (April-June). It also contains selected ambulatory surgery utilization and charge data from general medical-surgical hospitals and freestanding ambulatory surgery centers in Wisconsin during the same quarter.
This report fulfills the statutory requirement to report "in a manner that permits comparisons among hospitals . . . the charges for up to 100 health care services or diagnostic-related groups selected by the office."
Sincerely,
Josephine Musser
Commissioner of Insurance
Trudy A. Karlson, Ph.D
Office of Health Care Information
State of Wisconsin
Public Service Commission
September 7, 1995
The Honorable, The Senate:
Enclosed in the fourth annual report of the Public Service Commission to the legislature as provided for in s.
1.11(2)(j), Wis. Stats. It reports on the number of environmental assessments and environmental impact statements prepared by the Commission between July 1, 1994 and June 30, 1995.
If you have any questions on this report, please contact our Environmental Affairs Coordinator, Michael John Jaeger, at (608) 267-2546.
Sincerely,
Cheryl L. Parrino
Chairperson
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
August 31, 1995
The Honorable, The Legislature:
This report is transmitted as required by sec. 20.002(11)(f) of the Wisconsin Statutes, (for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under sec. 13.172 (3) Stats.), 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 balances during the month of July, 1995.
On July 3, 1995 the Patients Compensation Fund balance was -$2.4 million. This shortfall continued until July 11, 1995 when the balance reached +$4.1 million. The shortfall was due to a delayed transfer to the fund.
The Patients Compensation Fund shortfall was not in excess of the $400 million ceiling and did not exceed the balances of the Funds available for interfund borrowing.
The distribution of interest earnings to investment pool participants is based on the average daily balance in the pool and each fund's share. Therefore, the monthly calculation by State Finance will automatically reflect the use of these temporary reallocations of balance authority.
Sincerely,
James R. Klauser
Secretary
Referred to joint committee on Finance.
State of Wisconsin
Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority
September 1, 1995
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Pursuant to Chapter 231.35(8) of Wisconsin Statutes, the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority submits the following report for distribution under s.
13.172(2):
The Rural Hospital Loan Guarantee Program (RHLGP) is operational. Announcements and information about the program are periodically published in WHEFA newsletters and other healthcare newsletters. The first and only application for the program was received and a guarantee issued during 1994. The Osceola Medical Center secured a $100,000 guarantee amount from the Rural Hospital Loan Guarantee Fund to enhance a $500,000 local bank loan. The annual revenue of Osceola Medical Center for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1994 was $4,099,885. To the best of our knowledge, no default on the guarantee has or is occurring.
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The Rural Hospital Loan Guarantee Fund now only has a $100,000 balance for the Osceola Medical Center Guarantee. On August 3, 1995 and pursuant to Section 9125 of the Governor's Budget Bill, the Authority returned to the Department of Administration the unutilized funds of the program.
The Authority will continue to administer the RHLGP for the Osceola Medical Center Guarantee.
Sincerely,
Larry Nines
Executive Director
State of Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources
August 31, 1995
The Honorable, The Legislature:
I am please to send you the report, Cryptosporidium ssp. Oocyst and Giardia ssp. Cyst, Occurrence, Distribution and Levels in Wisconsin Waters. While this is our final and complete report, final published copies for general distribution will not be available for a few weeks. I will be happy to provide you with additional copies if needed.
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to conduct this important study and we hope you find the report informative. If you have any specific questions on the issues discussed in the report, feel free to contact Joe Ball with the Bureau of Water Resources Management at (608) 266-7390.
Sincerely,
George E. Meyer
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
