The Assembly met in the Assembly Chamber located in the State Capitol.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese in the chair.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent for a quorum call. Granted.
A quorum was present.
The prayer was offered by Pastor Dean Howell of Grace Baptist Church in Madison.
Representative Ladwig led the membership in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
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Special Guest
Representative Plouff introduced the musical group, the Stage Door Players from New Richmond, which performed several patriotic songs for the members of the Assembly. The group, including chaperones and parents, consisted of the following persons: Brett Anderson, Mary Anderson, Nick Balow, Jessica Bamman, Monique Bordynoski, Emily Buell, Gail Buell, Emily Deiss, Ethel Deiss, Nels Donaldson, Mary Donaldson, Megan Ferguson, Sharisse Germain, Mitchell Gorres, Kim Gorres, Judy Hackbarth, John Hackbarth, Calvin Hanson, Marie Hanson, Laurel Hay, Jack Holland, Eileen Holland, Breanna Hosley, Sherrie Hosley, Jacob Kleiner, Jamie Kleiner, Sara Leahy, Bill Leahy, Ericka Leahy, Madelyn Mayry, Brian Mike, Anne Mike, Mary Neumann, Linda Neumann, Garrett Ottney, Ben Peters, John-David Pribonic, Leslie Pribonic, Andrea Scheder, Thomas Skoglund, Derek Smith, Eric Tellijohn, Danette Tellijohn, Claire Traynor and Heidi Western.
The roll was taken.
The result follows:
Present - Representatives Ainsworth, Albers, Balow, Berceau, Bies, Black, Bock, Boyle, Carpenter, Coggs, Colon, Cullen, Duff, J. Fitzgerald, Foti, Freese, Friske, Gard, Gronemus, Grothman, Gunderson, Gundrum, Hahn, Hebl, Hines, Hoven, Huber, Hubler, Huebsch, Hundertmark, Jeskewitz, Johnsrud, Kaufert, Kedzie, Kestell, Krawczyk, Kreibich, Kreuser, Krug, Krusick, La Fave, Ladwig, F. Lasee, Lassa, J. Lehman, M. Lehman, Leibham, Lippert, Loeffelholz, McCormick, D. Meyer, Meyerhofer, Miller, Montgomery, Morris-Tatum, Musser, Nass, Olsen, Ott, Owens, Petrowski, Pettis, Plale, Plouff, Pocan, Powers, Reynolds, Rhoades, Richards, Riley, Ryba, Schneider, Schooff, Seratti, Sherman, Shilling, Sinicki, Skindrud, Starzyk, Staskunas, Steinbrink, Stone, Suder, Sykora, Townsend, Travis, Turner, Underheim, Urban, Vrakas, Walker, Ward, Wasserman, Wieckert, Williams, Wood, Young, Ziegelbauer and Speaker Jensen - 99.
Absent with leave - None.
Vacancies - None.
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Read first time and referred:
Assembly Bill 758
Relating to: bear hunting by certain minors.
By
Representatives Gunderson, Bies, Suder, Hines, Gronemus, Ainsworth, Krawczyk, F. Lasee, Gundrum, Seratti, Sykora, Ott, Petrowski, Ryba, Grothman, Kreuser and Pettis; cosponsored by Senators Shibilski, Welch, Plache and Wirch.
To committee on Natural Resources
.
Assembly Bill 759
Relating to: sturgeon spearing licenses; the sturgeon stock, fishery, and habitat in the Lake Winnebago and upper Fox and Wolf rivers system; and making an appropriation.
By
Representative
Kaufert
; cosponsored by Senator Roessler
.
To committee on Natural Resources
.
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The joint committee on Finance reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 742
Relating to: temporary supplemental unemployment insurance benefits and certain other changes to the unemployment insurance law.
Ayes: 15 - Representatives Gard, Kaufert, Hoven, Duff, Ward, Huebsch and Huber;
Senators
Burke, Decker, Moore, Shibilski, Plache, Wirch, Darling and Rosenzweig.
Noes: 0.
To committee on Rules.
John Gard
Assembly Chairperson
Joint committee on Finance
The committee on Health reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 223
Relating to: tribal administration of rehabilitation reviews for persons who otherwise may not operate, be employed at, contract with, or reside at an entity that provides care for children or adults and granting rule-making authority.
Passage:
Ayes: 16 - Representatives Underheim, Urban, Johnsrud, Krawczyk, F. Lasee, Lippert, Olsen, Seratti, Walker, Wieckert, Wasserman, Carpenter, La Fave, Miller, Colon and Shilling.
Noes: 0.
To committee on Rules.
Gregg Underheim
Chairperson
Committee on Health
The committee on Housing reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 446
Relating to: exempting certain horse boarding and horse training facilities from state building codes.
Passage:
Ayes: 8 - Representatives Sykora, J. Fitzgerald, D. Meyer, Walker, Wieckert, Morris-Tatum, Hebl and Meyerhofer.
Noes: 0.
To committee on Rules.
Assembly Bill 624
Relating to: the income and franchise tax credit that supplements the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit.
Assembly amendment 1 adoption:
Ayes: 8 - Representatives Sykora, J. Fitzgerald, D. Meyer, Walker, Wieckert, Morris-Tatum, Hebl and Meyerhofer.
Noes: 0.
Passage as amended:
Ayes: 8 - Representatives Sykora, J. Fitzgerald, D. Meyer, Walker, Wieckert, Morris-Tatum, Hebl and Meyerhofer.
Noes: 0.
To joint committee on Finance.
Tom Sykora
Chairperson
Committee on Housing
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Communications
January 24, 2002
The Honorable James Doyle, Attorney General
123 West Washington Avenue
Madison, WI 53703
Dear Attorney General Doyle:
The purpose of this letter is to request an opinion of the Attorney General. The Attorney General is directed to give opinions in writing "upon all questions of law submitted to him or her by the . . . assembly committee on organization." [s.
165.015(l), Stats.]
Last week, I announced the state Assembly would soon consider comprehensive campaign finance reform. In addition, I encouraged the Senate to bring up Senate Bill (SB) 104 for consideration. However, I recently learned that in a December 10, 2001 letter to Michael McCabe, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (WDC), you declined to support SB 104, as proposed, citing ". . . serious practical and constitutional questions." Your advice and counsel on the bill's provisions that are of questionable constitutionality would be most appreciated.
For that reason, on behalf of the Assembly Committee on Organization, I would respectfully ask for a formal legal opinion under s.
165.015(1), Stats., concerning the constitutionality of Senate Bill (SB) 104. Specifically, I would like you to reference the provisions within the bill, as it is currently drafted, that you believe could not or may not withstand judicial or constitutional scrutiny. The committee requests the formal opinion come directly from you. I think you would agree your stature as the state's elected Attorney General would carry considerable weight in a court of law should a special interest group challenge any future campaign finance statutes.
At this juncture, there is considerable momentum in both houses on both sides of the aisle for campaign finance reform. Your thoughtful and reasoned legal analysis could be of great help as we work to adopt effective campaign finance reform. I thank you in advance for your help and support on this issue. If you have further questions, need additional clarification or seek more information, please contact me.
The Assembly Committee on Organization has approved this letter.
Sincerely yours,
Speaker Scott R. Jensen, Chair
Assembly Committee on Organization
January 29, 2002
John Scocos
Assembly Chief Clerk
402 Main
Dear John:
