Department of Natural Resources
Department of Administration
September 28, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
Attached to this letter is the Environmental Improvement Fund Biennial Finance Plan for the 2007-2009 biennium.
Environmental Improvement Fund program legislation (s.
281.59(3), Wis. Stats.) requires the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Administration to submit the first version of the Biennial Finance plan to the Legislature and to the State Building Commission. The purpose of the plan is to provide information on loan, loan subsidy, and bonding levels for program operations in the 2007-2009 biennium.
If you have any questions regarding the Biennial Finance Plan, please contact Robert Ramharter at 266-3915 or Michael Wolff at 267-2734.
Sincerely,
Michele A. Young
Director, Bureau of Community Financial Assistance
Frank R. Hoadley
Capital Finance Director
Referred to committee on Natural Resources and Transportation.
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
September 29, 2006
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 August 2006.
On August 1, 2006, the General Fund cash balance closed at a negative $243.4 million. This negative balance continued through August 22, 2006, when the fund's cash balance closed at a positive $22.3 million. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
The General Fund shortfall was not in excess of the statutory interfund borrowing limitations 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,
STephen E. Bablitch
Secretary
Referred to joint committee on Finance.
Supreme Court of Wisconsin
Director of State Courts
September 29, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
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Pursuant to s.
758.19(5)(i), Wis. Stats., the information reported to the Director of State Courts under ss.
758.19(5)(e) and
758.19(6)(d), Wis. Stats., by Wisconsin's counties has been compiled and is herein submitted. Under ss.
758.19(5)(e) and
758.19(6)(d), Wis. Stats., each county is required to submit an annual report to the Director of State Courts which provides information on the actual amount expended in the previous calendar year for court costs relating to the circuit court support and the guardian ad litem payment programs. Statutes prohibit the Director of State Courts from requiring counties to submit audited annual reports to ensure accurate, uniform information. As a result, due to the differing and inconsistent accounting practices among and within counties, the following reported expenditures are not comparable among counties.
Sincerely,
A. John Voelker
Director of State Courts
State of Wisconsin
Office of State Employment Relations
September 29, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to forward the Fiscal Year 2006 report on employment of customers of the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program. Included in this report are the number of W-2 job seekers employed by each state agency and the classification of each position filled from July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006. Of the 2,984 new hires to state employment, 157, or 5.3 percent were W-2 hires. This exceeds the state's hiring goal of 5 percent.
Attached is a copy of the W-2 Hiring Report. Please contact me if you have questions or need additional information regarding this report.
Sincerely,
Karen E. Timberlake
Director
University of Wisconsin
Hospital and Clinics
September 29, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Attached please find a copy of the UWHC report on patient care, education, research, community service activities and an audited financial statement required by state law.
Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or desire additional information. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Donna K. Sollenberger
President & CEO
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
October 9, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
The Department of Health and Family Services operates BadgerCare under section 49.665 of the Wisconsin Statutes. Under this section of the statutes, the Department is also required to submit a report to the Legislature summarizing the BadgerCare program and its progress. In fulfillment of this statutory requirement, the Department is providing the Legislature with the enclosed report recently completed for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
This report was originally prepared under terms of the federal waiver agreement authorizing the BadgerCare program. Under terms of our federal waiver, the Department of Health and Family Services agreed to provide the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services with ongoing evaluations of BadgerCare and its operation. This report, completed in March 2006, represents the most recent study of BadgerCare.
As you will see through the report, BadgerCare is a very successful program that leverages significant amounts of federal funding to directly support health care coverage for eligible Wisconsin residents. Through BadgerCare 29,000 children and 66,000 adults are obtaining access to needed health care services. Due in large part to BadgerCare, Wisconsin enjoys one of the lowest levels of uninsured populations in the nation. As demonstrated in the report, BadgerCare provides a high quality of care. I am pleased to report that BadgerCare is having a powerful impact on the quality of life in Wisconsin.
Sincerely,
Helene NElson
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
October 10, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
The following lobbyists have been authorized to act on behalf of the organizations set opposite their names.
For more detailed information about these lobbyists and organizations and a complete list of organizations and people authorized to lobby the 2005-2006 session of the legislature, visit the Ethics Board's web site at
http://ethics.state.wi.us
Koehler, Tiffany Forest County Potawatomi Community
Wilson, John D Dominion Resources Services, Inc.
Also available from the Wisconsin Ethics Board are reports identifying the amount and value of time state agencies have spent to affect legislative action and reports of expenditures for lobbying activities filed by organizations that employ lobbyists.
Sincerely,
R. Roth Judd
Executive Director
Motions Under Senate Rule
98 and Joint Rule
7
for the Month of September 2006
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Taylor, for Shirley Abrahamson, on the occasion of her 30 years of devoted service to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Breske, for Chad Joseph Atwood, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Brown, for Builder First Class Dean J. Berlin, on the occasion of his outstanding service to the United States of America, its citizens, and truly living by the Seebees motto, "build with compassion for others and fight for peace with freedom".
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Legislature on the motion of Senator Darling, for Robert Blazich, on the occasion of being honored as the Mequon Thiensville Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Hansen, for Matthew Bollom, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Legislature on the motion of Senator Lasee, for the Town of Copperstown, on the occasion of the celebration of its 150th anniversary.
A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Legislature on the motion of Senator Fitzgerald, for Heather Gensch, on the occasion of earning and attaining the 4-H Key Award.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Legislature on the motion of Senator Darling, for Rick Graber, on the occasion of years of dedicated service as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren.
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A certificate of congratulations by the Wisconsin Legislature on the motion of Senator Darling, for Rick Graber, on the occasion of being being appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Roessler, for Andrew Hedman, on the occasion of earning and attaining the rank of the Eagle Scout Award.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Legislature on the motion of Senator Erpenbach, for HospiceCare, Inc., on the occasion of their exemplary service to our community and congratulations on the opening of the Ellen and Peter Johnson HospiceCare Residence.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Legislature on the motion of Senator Darling, for Lakeside Development Company, on the occasion of being honored as the Mequon Thiensville Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Legislature on the motion of Senator Darling, for Lustre Color Printing and Graphics, on the occasion of being honored as the Mequon Thiensville Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year.
A certificate of commendation by the Wisconsin Senate on the motion of Senator Lazich, for the Historic Marckwardt-Weston Barn, on the occasion of celebrating its 100th anniversary.
