Respectfully submitted,
Tommy G. Thompson
Governor
__________________
Communications
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Secretary of State
Madison
To Whom It May Concern:
Acts, Joint Resolutions and Resolutions deposited in this office have been numbered and published as follows:
Bill Number Act Number Publication Date
Assembly Bill 491February 26, 1999
Sincerely,
Douglas La Follette
Secretary of State
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Public Service Commission
Madison
February 19, 1999
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
The enclosed audit report on Wisconsin Energy Corporation and its impact on the operations of Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WP&L) was prepared as required by Wis. Stats. s 196.795(7)(ar) for distribution to the Legislature under Wis. Stats. 13.172(2).
This report covers financial operations through 1997, and does not reflect the operations of Interstate Energy Corporations (d/b/a Alliant Energy Corporation) which was formed in April 1998 by the merger of WPLH with two Iowa companies.
Sincerely,
Lynda L. Dorr
Secretary of the Commission
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Public Service Commission
Madison
February 19, 1999
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
The enclosed audit report on WPL Holdings, Inc. (WPLH) and its impact on the operations of Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WP&L) was prepared as required by Wis. Stats. s 196.795(7)(ar) for distribution to the Legislature under Wis. Stats. 13.172(2).
This report covers financial operations through 1997, and does not reflect the operations of Interstate Energy Corporations (d/b/a Alliant Energy Corporation) which was formed in April 1998 by the merger of WPLH with two Iowa companies.
A86
A report on the 1998 financial operations of the merged company will be prepared and submitted to the legislature later this year.
Sincerely,
Lynda L. Dorr
Secretary of the Commission
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State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
February 22, 1999
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
We have completed a review of Wisconsin Works (W-2) program expenditures, based on our preliminary work to complete a comprehensive program evaluation by July 2000. W-2 is a time-limited employment assistance program that replaced the cash entitlements available through Aid to Families with Dependent Children on September 1, 1997. It is administered by the Department of Workforce Development, which has contracted with 75 counties, private agencies, and tribes for local program implementation. From September 1997 through August 1998, expenditures for statewide implementation of W-2 totaled $188.4 million. Contractors expended an additional $28.7 million in state and federal funding on start-up activities to prepare for program implementation.
Program implementation expenditures were only 59.7 percent of the amount the State agreed to pay contractors for the first year, primarily because of lower-than-expected caseloads. While the Department estimated there would be 41,402 W-2 cases statewide in September 1997, the total enrollment in that month was only 23,182, which was 56.0 percent lower that anticipated. During the program's first year, caseloads declined 55.2 percent statewide, and 77.9 percent outside of Milwaukee County.
W-2 contracts allow unspent funds to be distributed to contractors as profits, to be used without restriction, and as community reinvestment funds, to be used for additional services for eligible low-income individuals. Because of the lower-than-expected caseloads, W-2 contractors have the potential to receive $33.0 million in profits and $47.2 million in community reinvestment funds. Actions by the Legislature and the Department have increased the amount of potential profits and community reinvestment funds for some agencies. We include options the Legislature may wish to consider to reduce future program costs, including restricting profits to more reasonable levels.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by the Department of Workforce Development and the staff of W-2 agencies we contacted during our review. The Department's response is Appendix VII.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
