RICHARD PEDERSEN
Director, Racing and Support Services
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
January 21, 2005
The Honorable, The Legislature:
On behalf of the Department of Health and Family Services, I am transmitting Wisconsin's Child Abuse and Neglect Report for Calendar Year 2003. In many ways, 2003 represents a transition for child welfare in our state.
Governor Jim Doyle and the Department of Health and Family Services place a high priority on keeping children safe in their own homes and providing adequate services when children must be removed to keep them safe. Throughout 2003, the Department joined with county and tribal child welfare agencies to build a statewide consensus for change in our child protection programs. Staff from tribal, county and state government, as well as advocates and private sector providers joined to create a program Enhancement Plan in order to strengthen the policies and practices that child welfare staff use to respond to abused and neglected children. Our plan was also a response to federal findings that indicated areas in which Wisconsin and all states needed to improve. We completed work on the plan in October 2004 and officially began its implementation on November 1, 2004. Implementation of Wisconsin's plan will be guided by a multidisciplinary team of more than 80 individuals, many of whom were part of the original planning team.
In 2004, Governor Doyle also identified a number of initiatives to enhance child welfare services in Wisconsin through his KidsFirst agenda. These initiatives, as well as the action steps identified in our Program Enhancement Plan, will have a significant impact on the course of child welfare services in the state.
We have much to accomplish over the next two years in order to meet the goals we have identified and we will look to all of our partners, including the state legislature to assist us in accomplishing our tasks. We look forward to working with you in the upcoming legislative session as we identify policy issues to improve how we serve children and families in Wisconsin. We appreciate your support for this important work.
Sincerely,
HELENE NELSON
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
January 21, 2005
The Honorable, The Senate:
In
1997 Act 27, the 97-99 Biennial Budget, the Legislature established requirements in state law intended to strengthen protections for children and vulnerable adults in organized care settings. The provisions require, among other things, that designated caregivers conduct background checks on all new and existing staff and bar them from employing anyone who has committed certain crimes or acts. DHFS and (for certain child care providers) counties and local school boards must perform checks on a provider before issuing a license or other credential. Individuals who have committed prohibited crimes or acts may apply to the Department, counties, or school boards for a waiver of the employment or licensing bans upon evidence of rehabilitation.
Sections
48.685(5g) and
50.065(5g) of the Wisconsin Statutes direct the Department to submit an annual report to the legislature that specifies the number of persons who have sought waivers of employment or licensing bans by requesting to demonstrate that they have been rehabilitated. The report must also specify the number of requests that were approved and the reasons for the success or failure of the requests. Attached is the report for 2004.
Questions about this report should be referred to Linda Dawson, Acting Chief Legal Counsel, at 608-266-0355.
Thank you for distributing this report to members of the Senate.
Sincerely,
HELENE NELSON
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Department of Justice
January 14, 2005
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Section
165.90 of the Wisconsin Statutes requires the Department of Justice to report on the performance of cooperative county-tribal law enforcement programs receiving aid under this section. This letter constitutes our report.
S54
This marks the seventeenth year that the Department has awarded grants for cooperative county-tribal law enforcement programs. The statutes require counties and tribes to develop joint program plans. The Department requires plans to include resolutions of support for the plan adopted by county boards and tribal governing bodies, to signify cooperation and mutual commitment.
This program pays for a variety of law enforcement services to Native American communities across Wisconsin. Grants have been used for the costs of patrol, investigation, crime prevention, K-9 units, information technology, law enforcement training, alternatives to drug abuse and gang involvement, diversity training, cultural awareness education, water rescue and other emergency equipment. An increasing number of grants are awarded to programs that include tribal police departments, while most generally help pay for services provided by county sheriffs to Native American reservations and communities.
The amount appropriated for this program in State Fiscal Year 2005 was $708,400, an amount that hasn't been increased since 1995. Grant moneys come from Indian gaming receipts as appropriated in the biennial budget. For Calendar Year 2005, the Department issued 18 awards totaling $708,400. These awards were in the following amounts:
COUNTY TRIBE 2005 AWARD
Ashland Bad River $55,036
Barron St. Croix $20,717
Bayfield Red Cliff $63,223
Brown Oneida $27,304
Forest Potawatomi $43,456
Forest Sokaogon $35,277
Jackson Ho Chunk $33,418
Juneau Ho Chunk $39,380
Menominee Menominee $55,615
Monroe Ho Chunk $24,582
Outagamie Oneida $27,073
Polk St. Croix $22,420
Sauk Ho Chunk $26,283
Sawyer Lac Courtes Oreilles $81,547
Shawano Ho Chunk $5,358
Shawano Stockbridge $58,373
Vilas Lac du Flambeau $69,055
Wood Ho Chunk $20,283
TOTAL $708,400
The Department of Justice's County-Tribal Law Enforcement Grant Program continues to help local law enforcement provide needed services in Native American communities. In addition, this program helps build a cooperative atmosphere and positive relationship between law enforcement and tribal governments and communities. Departmental staff is available to discuss this report and this important program.
Sincerely,
Peggy a. lautenschlager
Attorney General
Milwaukee Public Schools
Department of Finance
January 21, 2005
The Honorable, The Senate:
Enclosed you will find a copy of the report entitled "High/Scope All-Day Five-Year-Old Kindergarten Program and High/Scope First Grade Program." This report provides a summary of the project and the data collected for the 2003-2004 school year.
Each year a report is prepared in response to Sections
119.71,
119.73, and
119.75 of the current state statutes.
Sincerely,
MICHELLE J. NATE
Chief Financial and Operations Officer
Referred to the committee on Education.
__________________
Senate Resolution 2
Relating to: the senate rules.
Read.
Senator Schultz, with unanimous consent, asked that the Senate stand informal.
12:10 P.M.
__________________
12:19 P.M.
The Senate reconvened.
Senate amendment 1 to Senate Resolution 2 offered by Senators Hansen, Plale, Robson, Risser, Breske and Miller.
Senator Kedzie moved that Senate amendment 1 to Senate Resolution 2 be laid on the table.
The question was: Shall Senate amendment 1 to Senate Resolution 2 be laid on the table?
The ayes and noes were demanded and the vote was: ayes, 19; noes, 14; absent or not voting, 0; as follows:
Ayes - Senators Brown, Cowles, Darling, Ellis, S. Fitzgerald, Grothman, Harsdorf, Kanavas, Kapanke, Kedzie, A. Lasee, Lazich, Leibham, Olsen, Reynolds, Roessler, Schultz, Stepp and Zien - 19.
Noes - Senators Breske, Carpenter, Coggs, Decker, Erpenbach, Hansen, Jauch, Lassa, Miller, Plale, Risser, Robson, Taylor and Wirch - 14.
Absent or not voting - None.
Tabled.
Senate amendment 2 to Senate Resolution 2 offered by Senators Robson, Risser, Breske, Miller and Hansen.
