Sincerely,
Bonnie L. Ladwig
State Representative
63rd Assembly District
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Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
Madison
January 31, 2003
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
This report is transmitted as required by s.
20.002(11)(f), Wisconsin Statutes, (for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s.
13.172(3), Wisconsin Statutes), 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 cash balances during the month of December 2002.
On December 2, 2002, the General Fund cash balance closed at a negative $290.2 million. The negative balance continued until December 20, 2002, when the balance closed at a positive $54.5 million. On December 26, 2002, the General Fund cash balance again fell negative, closing at a negative $25.1 million. The negative balance continued until December 27, 2002, when the balance closed at a positive $33.4 million. The General Fund cash balance reached its monthly low of a negative $364.1 million on December 12, 2002. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On December 30, 2002, the Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund cash balance closed at negative $1 thousand. This negative balance continued through December 31, 2002. The negative difference was due to the timing of revenues and expenditures.
The General Fund and the Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund shortfalls were not in excess of the statutory interfund borrowing limitation 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 the State Controller's Office will automatically reflect the use of these temporary reallocations of balance authority, and as a result, the funds requiring the use of the authority will effectively bear the interest cost.
Sincerely,
Marc J. Marotta
Secretary
Referred to committee on Ways and Means.
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
Madison
February 13, 2003
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
Pursuant to s.
46.76 (4), the Department of Health and Family Services is required to develop an annual plan that documents areas of hunger and populations experiencing hunger within this state and to recommend strategies for state and federal policy changes to address hunger in these areas. The statute requires that this plan be submitted annually to the Governor, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the appropriate standing committees under s.
13.172 (3).
The enclosed Second Annual Status Report on Hunger in Wisconsin is being submitted to you in accordance with this requirement. Please feel free to contact my office at 608-266-9622, if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Helene Nelson
Secretary
Referred to committee on Children and Families.
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State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
February 19, 2003
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
We have completed a review of the Environmental Cooperation Pilot Program, which was established in
1997 Wisconsin Act 27. The pilot program, operated by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is intended to provide increased flexibility for businesses in complying with environmental regulation, while maintaining existing levels of environmental protection. The Legislative Audit Bureau is required by statutes to monitor and report annually on this pilot program.
The program allowed DNR to sign up to ten cooperative agreements with businesses by October 1, 2002. DNR negotiated seven agreements with six different companies, including four agreements signed between September 10, 2002 and October 1, 2002.
In reviewing the agreements, we found that each appears to meet the statutory requirements established by the Legislature and that required public comment was solicited and considered. We note, however, that for one of the agreements, the baseline report was not completed within the time line stipulated in the agreement or set by statute and the environmental management system was not completed within the time line stipulated in the agreement. Because five of the seven agreements were not executed until 2002, we will be reviewing the baseline reports, environmental management systems, and DNR oversight of those agreements during our next annual review.
It is too early in the cooperative agreement process to draw any conclusions regarding the overall success of the program. Reviews of the program in future years will yield additional information, which should allow for more conclusions to be drawn regarding both business flexibility in meeting environmental regulations and the goal of obtaining superior environmental performance.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DNR during our review.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
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Representative Vrakas asked unanimous consent for a leave of absence for part of today's session for Representative Nischke. Granted.
Representative Turner asked unanimous consent for a leave of absence for part of today's session for Representative Berceau. Granted.
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Representative Vrakas asked unanimous consent that the Assembly stand recessed. Granted.
The Assembly stood recessed.
10:17 A.M.
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1:30 P.M.
The Assembly reconvened.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese in the chair.
Representative Berceau asked unanimous consent that her leave of absence be lifted. Granted.
Representative Nischke asked unanimous consent that her leave of absence be lifted. Granted.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Bill
9 be withdrawn from the committee on Rules and taken up at this time. Granted.
Assembly Bill 9
Relating to: authorizing the establishment of a program for the suppression of gypsy moths, specifying areas eligible for aerial insecticide treatment for the suppression of gypsy moths, and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that Assembly Bill 9 be rereferred to the committee on Rules. Granted.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Bill
10 be withdrawn from the committee on Ways and Means and taken up at this time. Granted.
Assembly Bill 10
Relating to: creating a sales tax and use tax exemption for the sale of game birds.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that Assembly Bill 10 be rereferred to the committee on Ways and Means. Granted.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Bill
25 be withdrawn from the committee on Natural Resources and taken up at this time. Granted.
Assembly Bill 25
Relating to: the beginning date authorized for the hunting of antlerless deer in October.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent that Assembly Bill 25 be rereferred to the committee on Natural Resources. Granted.
Relating to: the size of the county board of supervisors in populous counties.
Representative Krug asked unanimous consent that Senator Darling be added as the first cosponsor of Assembly Bill 18. Granted.
Representative Foti asked unanimous consent for a quorum call. Granted.
A quorum was present.
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Assembly Bill 3
Relating to: limitations on the filling of vacant positions in state government.
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Representative Miller rose to the point of order that
Assembly Bill 3 was not properly before the Assembly under §
13.45 of the Wisconsin Statutes because the chairperson of the committee on Natural Resources was not properly chosen.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese ruled the point of order
not well taken.
Representative Black submitted a resolution, LRB - 2058, relating to: requesting the secretary of employment relations to submit to the assembly immediately for immediate calendaring bills ratifying all state employee collective bargaining agreements that have been ratified by state employee labor organizations.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese ruled that the resolution was not privileged under Assembly Rule
43.
Representative Black appealed the ruling of the Chair.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese ruled that there was no point of order to appeal under Assembly Rule
62 (6).
Representative Black rose to the point of order that the resolution was privileged under Assembly Rule
43.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese ruled that the resolution was not privileged as defined by Assembly Rule
43.
Representative Black rose to the point of order that the resolution was privileged under Assembly Rule
43.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese ruled that, under Assembly Rule
43, the resolution did not relate to the officers, members, former members, procedures, or organization of the Assembly or Legislature. Speaker Pro Tempore Freese also ruled that the point of order was not timely under Assembly Rule
62 (4).
Assembly Bill 3
Relating to: limitations on the filling of vacant positions in state government.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese stated that the question before the Assembly was passage of Assembly Bill 3.
