Referred to committee on State Affairs.
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
February 3, 2004
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
At your request, we have compiled information on nursing staff issues at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, which is operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and provides direct care to approximately 710 veterans. The Veterans Home includes four main residence halls that are separately licensed nursing homes and are regulated by the Department of Health and Family Services.
DVA spent $18.1 million in fiscal year (FY) 2002-03 on salaries - including overtime costs - and fringe benefits for nursing staff working at the Veterans Home. Overtime payments totaling $1.2 million represented only 6.5 percent of nursing staff expenditures. However, we found that most nursing staff at the Veterans Home worked more than 80 hours in a two-week pay period we reviewed. In June 2003, 22 of 31 full-time nurse clinicians, 17 of 31 full-time licensed practical nurses, and 126 of 165 full-time certified nursing assistants worked more than 80 hours. Furthermore, employees in part-time positions, defined as 40 hours in a two-week pay period, worked an average of 77 hours.
DVA staff report that significant vacancy rates have led to the extra time required to meet minimum staffing levels for nursing homes under state law. We note that no citations were issued to the Veterans Home in FY 2002-03 because of insufficient staffing. It also has higher staff retention rates than other Wisconsin nursing homes.
DVA has developed several initiatives designed to retain current nursing staff and to recruit additional staff to fill vacancies. While it is still too early to assess the effectiveness of these initiatives, the vacancy rates fell during the first ten months of 2003, particularly for licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants. Nevertheless, a competitive labor market for nursing staff remains an obstacle to filling vacancies, and 25.0 percent of nurse clinician positions at the Veterans Home were vacant in October 2003.
I hope you find this information useful. Please contact me if you have additional questions.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
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Communications
February 2, 2004
Ms. Barbara L. Toles
3835 North 56th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53216
Dear Representative-Elect Toles:
I am pleased to extend my congratulations on your election as Representative to the Assembly, Seventeenth District for the State of Wisconsin. You have been elected to complete the balance of the unexpired, two-year term ending January 3, 2005, caused by the resignation of G. Spencer Coggs.
If the State Elections Board staff can provide you with any information or assistance, please contact our office.
Kevin J. Kennedy
Executive Director
State Elections Board
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Statement of Canvass
for
Representative to the Assembly
Special Election - January 27, 2004
I, Shane Falk, Chairperson of the State Elections Board, certify that the attached tabular statement, as compiled from the certified returns made to the State Elections Board by the Milwaukee County Board of Election Commissioners of the State of Wisconsin, contains a correct abstract of the total number of votes given for the election of a candidate for Representative to the Assembly, at a Special Election held in the several wards, villages and election districts in said county on the Twenty-seventh day of January, 2004.
A663
I Do, Therefore, Determine And Certify that the following candidate, having received the greatest number of votes, is duly elected Representative to the Assembly:
District Elected
17th District Barbara L. Toles
Done in the City of Madison, this 2nd day of February, 2004.
Shane Falk
Chairperson
State Elections Board
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Certificate of Election
I, Kevin J. Kennedy, Executive Director of the Elections Board of the State of Wisconsin, certify that
Barbara L. Toles
was elected to the office of
Representative to the Assembly
from the Seventeenth Assembly District of the State of Wisconsin, for the unexpired term of two years, commencing on January 6, 2003, and ending on January 3, 2005, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of G. Spencer Coggs, as shown on the official canvass of the votes cast at the Special Election held on January 27, 2004.
Done in the City of Madison, this 2nd day of February, 2004.
Kevin J. Kennedy
Executive Director
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Oath of Office
On Tuesday, February 3, Fourth District Court of Appeals Judge Paul Higginbotham administered the oath of office to Barbara L. Toles of the Seventeenth Assembly District in a ceremony held in the State Capitol in the city of Madison. Representative Toles addressed the members from the rostrum, accompanied by her sister, Eva Roberson.
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Special Guest
Representatives Ladwig, J. Lehman and Turner introduced Hometown Hero Recipient Julia Burney of Cops 'N Kids Reading Center in Racine, who addressed the members from the rostrum.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Resolution 31 be withdrawn from the committee on Rules and taken up at this time. Granted.
Assembly Resolution 31
Relating to: commending the life and contributions of Javier M. Sanchez.
The question was: Shall Assembly Resolution 31 be adopted?
Motion carried.
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Representative Vrakas asked unanimous consent that the Assembly stand recessed. Granted.
The Assembly stood recessed.
11:45 A.M.
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4:10 P.M.
The Assembly reconvened.
Speaker Gard in the chair.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent for a quorum call. Granted.
A quorum was present.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese in the chair.
The roll was taken.
The result follows:
Present - Representatives Ainsworth, Albers, Balow, Berceau, Bies, Black, Boyle, Colon, Cullen, J. Fitzgerald, Foti, Freese, Friske, Gielow, Gottlieb, Gronemus, Grothman, Gunderson, Gundrum, Hahn, Hebl, Hines, Honadel, Huber, Hubler, Huebsch, Hundertmark, Jensen, Jeskewitz, Johnsrud, Kaufert, Kerkman, Kestell, Krawczyk, Kreibich, Kreuser, Krug, Krusick, Ladwig, F. Lasee, J. Lehman, M. Lehman, LeMahieu, Loeffelholz, Lothian, McCormick, D. Meyer, Miller, Molepske, Montgomery, Morris, Musser, Nass, Nischke, Olsen, Ott, Owens, Petrowski, Pettis, Plouff, Pocan, Pope-Roberts, Powers, Rhoades, Richards, Schneider, Schooff, Seratti, Sherman, Shilling, Sinicki, Staskunas, Steinbrink, Stone, Suder, Taylor, Toles, Towns, Townsend, Travis, Turner, Underheim, Van Akkeren, Van Roy, Vrakas, Vruwink, Vukmir, Ward, Wasserman, Weber, Wieckert, A. Williams, M. Williams, J. Wood, W. Wood, Young, Zepnick, Ziegelbauer and Speaker Gard - 99.
Absent with leave - None.
Vacancies - None.
Senate Bill 214
Relating to: carrying or going armed with a concealed weapon, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, making appropriations, and providing penalties.
Representative Foti withdrew the point of order raised on Tuesday, January 27, that a motion to suspend the rules to take up Senate Bill 214 was not in order.
The question was: Shall Senate Bill 214 pass notwithstanding the objections of the governor?
The result follows:
Ayes - Representatives Ainsworth, Albers, Bies, J. Fitzgerald, Foti, Freese, Friske, Gielow, Gottlieb, Gronemus, Grothman, Gunderson, Gundrum, Hahn, Hines, Honadel, Huebsch, Hundertmark, Jensen, Jeskewitz, Johnsrud, Kaufert, Kerkman, Kestell, Krawczyk, Kreibich, Ladwig, F. Lasee, M. Lehman, LeMahieu, Loeffelholz, Lothian, McCormick, D. Meyer, Montgomery, Musser, Nass, Nischke, Olsen, Ott, Owens, Petrowski, Pettis, Powers, Rhoades, Schneider, Seratti, Steinbrink, Stone, Suder, Towns, Townsend, Underheim, Van Akkeren, Van Roy, Vrakas, Vruwink, Vukmir, Ward, Weber, Wieckert, M. Williams, J. Wood, W. Wood and Speaker Gard - 65.
Noes - Representatives Balow, Berceau, Black, Boyle, Colon, Cullen, Hebl, Huber, Hubler, Kreuser, Krug, Krusick, J. Lehman, Miller, Molepske, Morris, Plouff, Pocan, Pope-Roberts, Richards, Schooff, Sherman, Shilling, Sinicki, Staskunas, Taylor, Toles, Travis, Turner, Wasserman, A. Williams, Young, Zepnick and Ziegelbauer - 34.
Absent or not voting - None.
Motion failed.
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Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the Assembly stand recessed. Granted.
The Assembly stood recessed.
5:17 P.M.
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5:25 P.M.
