04-052
2-1-2005
04-068
2-1-2005
Sincerely,
GARY L. POULSON
Deputy Revisor
__________________
Senate amendment 1 to Senate substitute amendment 1 to Senate Bill 28 offered by Senators Olsen, Kapanke and Brown.
__________________
Read first time and referred:
Senate Bill 33
Relating to: entering into the wildlife violator compact.
By
Senators
Leibham, Harsdorf, Olsen, Decker, Cowles, Wirch, A. Lasee, Lassa and Grothman; cosponsored by Representatives Gunderson, Musser, Albers, Hines, Kerkman, Ainsworth, Freese, Lothian, Townsend, Ott, Gronemus, Van Roy, Hahn, Wood, Bies, Kestell, Pettis, F. Lasee, Vos, Suder, Hundertmark, Vruwink, Montgomery, Underheim and Lehman.
To committee on Natural Resources and Transportation.
Senate Bill 34
Relating to: the method of filling vacancies in certain county, city, village, and town elective offices.
By
Senators
Leibham and Lassa; cosponsored by Representatives Loeffelholz, Nass, LeMahieu and Ott.
To committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, Military Affairs, Small Business and Government Reform.
Senate Bill 35
Relating to: eliminating the estate tax.
By
Senators
Leibham, Kanavas, Darling and Grothman; cosponsored by Representatives Suder, Loeffelholz, Nass, Hines, Gundrum, Kerkman, McCormick, LeMahieu, Jeskewitz, F. Lasee, Honadel, Musser, J. Fitzgerald, Albers, Hundertmark, Petrowski, Vrakas, Fields, Nischke, Freese, Gielow and Jensen.
To committee on Job Creation, Economic Development and Consumer Affairs.
Pursuant to Senate Rule
36(2)(c) and section 13.52(6), Wisconsin Statutes, the Co-Chairs of the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions shall prepare and submit a report in writing setting forth an opinion on the desirability of
Senate Bill 35 as a matter of public policy.
Senate Bill 36
Relating to: increasing the amount of the individual income tax subtract modification for social security benefits.
By
Senators
Leibham, Olsen, Wirch, A. Lasee, Stepp, Kanavas, Roessler and Lassa; cosponsored by Representatives Loeffelholz, Suder, Van Roy, Petrowski, Freese, Lothian, Ziegelbauer, LeMahieu, Kestell, Townsend, Albers, Vos, Hines, Owens, Vrakas, Jeskewitz, McCormick, Bies, Kreibich, Musser, Kleefisch, Stone, Jensen, Nass, Vruwink and Davis.
To committee on Job Creation, Economic Development and Consumer Affairs.
Senate Bill 37
Relating to: creating an individual income tax subtract modification for amounts spent on medical insurance premiums by certain individuals.
By
Senators
Leibham, Kanavas, Grothman, Zien, Stepp, Roessler, Harsdorf, A. Lasee, Olsen, Erpenbach, Lazich, Darling and Lassa; cosponsored by Representatives Hahn, Nischke, Wood, Musser, Bies, McCormick, Gunderson, Ott, Owens, Van Roy, Vos, Nass, Stone, Vrakas, Petrowski, Freese, Huebsch, Ainsworth, Hundertmark, Wasserman, Suder, Gronemus, Kerkman, J. Fitzgerald, Friske, Kaufert, Rhoades, Albers, F. Lasee, Krawczyk, Lothian, Gielow, Towns, Jensen, LeMahieu, Jeskewitz, Hines, Townsend, Davis, Moulton, Nelson and Pridemore.
To committee on Job Creation, Economic Development and Consumer Affairs.
Relating to: authorizing a program for tuition gift certificates at the University of Wisconsin System.
By
Senators
Leibham, Brown, Stepp, Wirch, Roessler, Kedzie, Lassa and Miller; cosponsored by Representatives Gottlieb, Musser, Boyle, Vos, Jeskewitz, Kaufert, Ott, Nass, Stone, Petrowski, Gunderson, Gard, Towns, Townsend, Hines, Ainsworth, LeMahieu, Krawczyk, Kerkman, Molepske, Kreibich, Albers, Gielow, Jensen, Loeffelholz, Lothian, Nischke, Pettis, Pridemore, Rhoades and Underheim.
To committee on Higher Education and Tourism.
Senate Bill 39
Relating to: school transportation bio-diesel fuel cost assistance and making appropriations.
By
Senators
Leibham, Cowles, Harsdorf, Stepp, Wirch, Breske, Brown, Decker, Kapanke, A. Lasee, Olsen, Roessler, Lassa and Taylor; cosponsored by Representatives Petrowski, Wood, Albers, Van Roy, Black, Shilling, Krawczyk, Ott, Freese, Ballweg, Pocan, Hines, Gronemus, Ainsworth, Davis, Hahn, Kestell, Loeffelholz, Lothian, Molepske, Montgomery, Musser, Pope-Roberts, Stone, Suder, Townsend, Vos, Vrakas, Vruwink, Ward and Kreibich.
To committee on Natural Resources and Transportation.
Senate Bill 40
Relating to: a state minimum wage, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty.
By
Senators
Hansen, Robson, Breske, Carpenter, Coggs, Decker, Erpenbach, Jauch, Lassa, Miller, Plale, Risser, Taylor and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Sheridan, Sinicki, Turner, Sherman, Kreuser, Richards, Pocan, Kessler, Boyle, Black, Hebl, Molepske, Nelson, Vruwink, Berceau, Schneider, Young, Parisi, Shilling, Toles, Van Akkeren, Fields, Colon, A. Williams, Zepnick, Pope-Roberts, Grigsby, Benedict, Seidel, Steinbrink, Lehman and Krusick.
To committee on Labor and Election Process Reform.
Senate Bill 41
Relating to: the definition of biodiesel fuel and the labeling, advertising, and promoting of biodiesel fuel and biodiesel fuel blends for sale.
By
Senators
Cowles, Kapanke, Harsdorf, Brown, Lassa, Miller, Olsen, Risser and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Ott, Nerison, Montgomery, Freese, Gronemus, Hahn, Ballweg, Hines, Loeffelholz, Petrowski, Musser, Towns, Ainsworth, Albers, Bies, Krawczyk, Molepske, Kestell, Nelson, Vrakas, Townsend and Lehman.
To committee on Natural Resources and Transportation.
Senate Bill 42
Relating to: requiring certain identification in order to vote at a polling place or obtain an absentee ballot, verification of the addresses of electors, and the fee for an identification card issued by the Department of Transportation.
By
Senators
Leibham, Brown, Darling, S. Fitzgerald, Grothman, Harsdorf, Kanavas, Kedzie, A. Lasee, Lazich, Olsen, Reynolds, Roessler, Schultz, Stepp and Zien; cosponsored by Representatives Stone, Ainsworth, Albers, Ballweg, Davis, J. Fitzgerald, Freese, Gielow, Gunderson, Gundrum, Hahn, Hines, Honadel, Huebsch, Hundertmark, Jensen, Jeskewitz, Kaufert, Kerkman, Kestell, Kleefisch, Krawczyk, Kreibich, F. Lasee, LeMahieu, Lothian, Meyer, McCormick, Montgomery, Moulton, Musser, Nass, Nerison, Nischke, Ott, Pettis, Pridemore, Strachota, Suder, Towns, Townsend, Underheim, Van Roy, Vos, Vrakas, Vukmir, Ward, Wood, Ziegelbauer and Gottlieb.
To committee on Labor and Election Process Reform.
Senate Bill 43
Relating to: prohibiting the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority from making, buying, or assuming a home mortgage loan for an individual who does not have a social security number.
By
Senators
Grothman, Cowles, Ellis, Kanavas, A. Lasee, Lazich, Leibham and Roessler; cosponsored by Representatives Kestell, Suder, Gottlieb, Gunderson, Hahn, Hines, Jeskewitz, F. Lasee, LeMahieu, McCormick, Meyer, Nass, Ott, Owens, Petrowski, Pridemore, Towns, Van Roy, Vrakas, Vukmir and Ziegelbauer.
To committee on Housing and Financial Institutions.
Senate Bill 44
Relating to: acceptance of certain political contributions by certain elective state officials and committees.
By
Senators
Harsdorf, Cowles, A. Lasee and Roessler; cosponsored by Representatives Freese, Bies, Black, Hahn, Hines, Jeskewitz, Lehman, Pocan and Townsend.
To committee on Campaign Finance Reform and Ethics.
Senate Bill 45
Relating to: operating certain 3-vehicle combinations on the highways.
By
Senators
Zien, Brown, Olsen, Harsdorf, A. Lasee and Reynolds; cosponsored by Representatives Suder, Towns, Hines, Van Roy, Gronemus, Gunderson, F. Lasee, Owens, Pettis, Musser, Ballweg, Townsend, Pridemore, Krawczyk and Stone.
To committee on Natural Resources and Transportation.
__________________
The committee on Natural Resources and Transportation reports and recommends:
Senate Bill 10
Relating to: Department of Transportation rules relating to land subdivisions abutting state trunk highways and connecting highways.
No recommendation pursuant to s.
227.19 (6)(b), Wisconsin Statutes.
Senate Bill 13
Relating to: the protection and management of the public waters of Wisconsin.
No recommendation pursuant to s.
227.19 (6)(b), Wisconsin Statutes.
Senate Bill 14
Relating to: the placement of riprap, biological shore erosion control structures, seawalls, piers, wharves, boat shelters, boat hoists, boat lifts, and swim rafts in navigable waters and the effective date for the issuance of individual permits for activities in navigable waters.
No recommendation pursuant to s.
227.19 (6)(b), Wisconsin Statutes.
Neal Kedzie
Chairperson
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
February 2, 2005
The Honorable, The Legislature:
S63
We have completed a financial audit of the State of Wisconsin Unemployment Reserve Fund for the years ended June 30, 2004 and 2003. We performed the audit at the request of the Department of Workforce Development and to meet our audit responsibilities under s.
13.94, Wis. Stats.
Our audit report contains our unqualified opinion on the financial statements and related notes. Wisconsin continued to experience higher unemployment rates, reaching a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.8 percent in January 2003. As a result, unemployment benefit payments exceeded employer contributions and other revenues, causing the Unemployment Reserve Fund balance to decline. The June 30, 2004 fund balance of $971.0 million is the lowest fund balance during the past 16 years. In contrast, the fund balance reached a high of $1.9 billion as of June 30, 2000. As required by s.
16.48, Wis. Stats., the Secretary of the Department of Workforce Development recently reported to the Legislature on the overall financial condition and outlook of the Unemployment Reserve Fund, including suggestions for increasing the fund balance to ensure sufficient reserves are maintained.
Accompanying the financial statements is the Schedule of Cash Balance Related to Taxable Employers. This cash balance is used to determine the tax rate schedule that applies to taxable employers. Section
108.18(3m), Wis. Stats., currently requires the second-highest tax rate schedule to be applied when the cash balance as of June 30 is between $300 million and $900 million. Because the June 30, 2004 cash balance related to taxable employers was $812.3 million, the second-highest of the four tax rate schedules will be applied to taxable employers in calendar year 2005. It is estimated that the higher tax rates will require employers to pay an additional $30.0 million into the Unemployment Reserve Fund during 2005.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by Department of Workforce Development staff during the audit.
Sincerely,
JANICE MUELLER
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
