State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 12, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am vetoing Senate Bill 451 in its entirety. The bill creates an appropriation and appropriates funds for the Wisconsin Advantage Jobs Training Program, a program created in Senate Bill 384.
Specifically, the bill creates an appropriation for the Wisconsin Technical College System Board. Senate Bill 451 provides $500,000 GPR to the appropriation in fiscal year 2004-05 allowing the Board to make grants under the Wisconsin Advantage Jobs Training Program, which would have been created had I signed Senate Bill 384. The bill also reduces the Wisconsin Development Fund by $500,000 GPR in fiscal year 2004-05. In addition, the bill requires that the base funding level for the Wisconsin Advantage Jobs Training Program be $1,000,000 GPR annually beginning in the 2005-07 biennium.
I am vetoing Senate Bill 451 because the Wisconsin Advantage Jobs Training Program was not enacted into law due to my veto of Senate Bill 384. As a result, the appropriation of funds for this program is not necessary. Furthermore, a reduction in funding for the Wisconsin Development Fund, one of the state's important economic development programs, is counterproductive to my efforts at growing Wisconsin's economy.
Sincerely,
Jim Doyle
Governor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 12, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am vetoing Senate Bill 508 in its entirety. The bill provides that employees who provide companionship services are exempt from state laws regarding overtime pay. In addition, Senate Bill 508 adopts the federal definition of companionship services. Under current law, when an employee of a commercial enterprise that provides in-home companionship services works more than 40 hours in a given week, the business must pay the employee an hourly wage equal to 1.5 times the regular rate for each hour over 40.
I am vetoing Senate Bill 508 in its entirety because the definition of companionship services included in the bill is so broad that the exemptions provided may be subject to misapplication and misuse. By downgrading the pay status of the companionship services occupation at a time when the demand for home care workers is increasing, Senate Bill 508 will lead to a less professional and less stable home care workforce. I also object to singling out one category of home-related personal service for separate treatment under the state's overtime law.
Sincerely,
Jim Doyle
Governor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 13, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am vetoing Senate Bill 63 in its entirety. The bill creates an exemption to the prohibition on the selling, buying, bartering and trading of feathers and nonedible parts of grouse, partridge, pheasant, quail and wild turkey.
The bill modifies state regulation of fur dealers by designating the sale, purchase, barter and trade of feathers and nonedible parts from upland game birds as a regulated activity under a license issued by the Department of Natural Resources. The bill also grandfathers licensed resident fur dealers to allow them to trade in upland game bird feathers and nonedible parts until their current license expires. Hunters would be exempt from fur and feather dealer licensing and record keeping requirements.
I support the state's efforts to regulate the trade of certain fur and animal parts under current law. However, I object to the commercialization of the upland game bird resource and creating the potential of overharvest for feathers and parts, which would have negative long-term impacts on the state's upland game bird population. Reducing upland game bird populations could also have a negative impact on the sport in the form of reduced bag limits, shorter hunting seasons and issuance of fewer permits. Lastly, the bill potentially increases law enforcement workload related to investigation and response to complaints of illegal hunting.
Sincerely,
Jim Doyle
Governor
Office of the Governor
April 14, 2004
To the Honorable, the Senate:
The following bill(s), originating in the Senate, have been approved, signed and deposited in the office of the Secretary of State:
Sincerely,
Jim Doyle
Governor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
April 6, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
This letter is to withdraw the nomination of Bob Henzl that was made March 10, 2004 for the State fair Park Board. Mr. Henzl no longer wishes to pursue this appointment.
Sincerely,
Jim Doyle
Governor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Secretary of State
To the Honorable, the Senate:
Sincerely,
Douglas La follette
Secretary of State
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Secretary of State
To the Honorable, the Senate:
Sincerely,
Douglas La follette
Secretary of State
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Secretary of State
To the Honorable, the Senate:
Sincerely,
Douglas La follette
Secretary of State
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
April 7, 2004
The Honorable, The Legislature:
In accordance with Wisconsin statutes section 13.172(2) and section 16.957(2)(d)4, the department submits the FY2003 Annual report on the Public Benefits Fund.
The Public Benefits Fund supports the Focus on Energy program and Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance programs.
Please let me know if you have any questions about the report or the programs.
Sincerely,
Marc J. Marotta
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin System
April 6, 2004
The Honorable, The Legislature:
At its meeting April 2, 2004, the Board of Regents accepted the attached report for submission to the chief clerk of each house of the Legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s.
13.172(3).
Section
36.25(14m)(c), Wis. Stats., requires the Board of REgents to submit a report to the governor and to the chief clerk of each house of the Legislature annually by April 15 on its precollege, recruitment, and retention plan for minority and disadvantaged students. The report must also include information on financial aid programs serving those students. The report for 2002-2003 is attached.
If you need additional information regrading this report, please contact Andrea-Teresa Arenas, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, at 262-8636.
Sincerely,
Katharine C. Lyall
President
Referred to committee on Higher Education and Tourism.
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
April 14, 2004
The Honorable, The Legislature:
S759
At the request of the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS), we have completed a financial audit of the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan (HIRSP) for fiscal year (FY) 2002-03. HIRSP provides medical and prescription drug insurance for more that 17,000 policyholders who are unable to obtain coverage in the private market or who lost employer-sponsored group health insurance. We have provided an unqualified opinion of HIRSP's financial statements.
HIRSP's financial position continues to improve: its accounting deficit was $0.9 million on June 30, 2003, compared to $6.0 million on June 30, 2002. In addition, a balance in the excess policyholder premium account increased significantly during FY 2002-03, from $3.0 million to $10.4 million as of June 30, 2003. By statute, the excess premium balance can be used only for purposes that benefit policyholders, such as for reducing premium levels to a statutory floor of 140 percent of standard risk rates.
Despite an improving financial position, HIRSP faces continuing management and funding challenges because of increasing enrollment and claims costs. In FY 2002-03, enrollment increased 16.9 percent and claims costs increased 27.8 percent. In addition, general purpose revenue (GPR) support was eliminated beginning in FY 2003-04. Costs previously covered by GPR, which totaled $10.2 million in FY 2002-03, are now covered by policyholders, insurers, and health care providers. Further, legislative action will be needed to address a technical issue that DHFS and HIRSP's contracted actuary have identified in HIRSP's statutory funding formula.
During our prior audit, we recommended DHFS increase its oversight of prescription drug claims, which totaled $32.4 million in FY 2002-03, through independent audits of the pharmacy benefit management company's controls. DHFS is currently conducting a competitive procurement process to select the plan administrator that will be administering HIRSP beginning in January 2005, and it has included a requirement for such audits in the Request for Vendor Proposals that will be used to award a new contract.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DHFS and the plan administrator for HIRSP. A response from DHFS follows the appendix.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
