Michael J. Sheridan
Assembly Speaker
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Communications
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Secretary of State
Madison
To Whom It May Concern:
Acts, Joint Resolutions and Resolutions deposited in this office have been numbered and published as follows:
Bill Number Act Number Publication Date
Assembly Bill 229101February 18, 2010
Assembly Bill 177102February 18, 2010
Assembly Bill 178103February 18, 2010
Assembly Bill 364104February 18, 2010
Assembly Bill 376105February 18, 2010
Assembly Bill 325107February 18, 2010
Assembly Bill 418108February 18, 2010
Assembly Bill 83109February 18, 2010
Assembly Bill 202110February 18, 2010
Jt. Res. Number Enrolled Number
Publication Date
Assembly Joint Res. 10425Not Published
Assembly Joint Res. 10526Not Published
Sincerely,
Douglas La Follette
Secretary of State
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Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Department of Corrections
Madison
February 2, 2010
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
The following information is provided for your consideration and review pursuant to §
301.03 (6m), Wisconsin Statutes. The figures below pertain to calendar year 2009.
A639
1). There were ninety-two Chapter
51 mental health commitments within the Department of Corrections. Of these, forty-six were initial commitments and forty-six were extensions of commitments from previous years.
Eighty-two of the ninety-two commitments were obtained at the Wisconsin Resource Center (male inmates). Of these, forty-one were initial commitments and forty-one were renewals of commitments from previous years.
Ten of the ninety-two commitments were obtained at Taycheedah Correctional Institution (female inmates). Of these, five were initial commitments and five were recommitments from previous years.
After a Chapter
51 commitment, male inmates returned to the Wisconsin Resource Center (WRC) for further treatment. Average length of stay for WRC inmates was 428 days. Three male inmates were transferred from WRC to Mendota Mental Health Institute on an involuntary basis.
After a chapter 51 initial commitment, females were transferred to Winnebago Mental Health Institute (WMHI). For recommitments, females remained at TCI. In addition, three females were transferred to WMHI and received treatment on a voluntary basis. Average length of stay for committed individuals was 13 days.
2). The total number of inmates who were treated with psychotropic medication in 2009 was 8,051. This number includes inmates who were incarcerated for short-term stays as well as long-term stays. The number of inmates who were treated with psychotropic medication on any specific date is estimated at approximately 4,750. Of these, the number treated on an involuntary basis was the same as the number of involuntary commitments (ninety-two). Major classes of medication included antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers.
3). Mental Health Services are available at all of the major institutions. Services include crisis intervention, individual counseling, and group therapy. Specific programs include sex offender treatment, anger management, domestic violence, substance abuse treatment, and cognitive interventions. Psychiatrists are available at all major institutions to provide evaluations for psychotropic medication and management of these medications. In addition, consultation is available from both psychologists and psychiatrists to evaluate competency to consent to psychotropic medication and/or medical treatment.
If you have any questions or need any further information, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Rick Raemisch
Secretary
Referred to committee on Corrections and the Courts.
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
February 9, 2010
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
As required by
2007 Wisconsin Act 222, we have completed an evaluation of virtual charter schools. Pupils enrolled in these nonsectarian public schools typically attend from their homes and take a majority of their classes online. In the 2007-08 school year, 15 virtual charter schools enrolled 2,951 full-time pupils. We found that 7.6 percent of pupils attended virtual schools that were chartered by their school district of residence, while 91.1 percent attended through open enrollment, which requires payment from the district of residence (the "sending district") to the district chartering the virtual school (the "receiving district").
Virtual charter schools spent an estimated $17.8 million in the 2007-08 school year. They were funded by a mix of federal charter school grants; fees; general district revenue, including property tax revenue; and $14.2 million in state aid, which represented 79.0 percent of their total revenue. The availability of state aid affects both sending and receiving districts, and receiving districts have a financial incentive to attract additional virtual charter school pupils through open enrollment. We found that in the 2007-08 school year, 8 of the 15 virtual charter schools' per pupil expenditures were less than the $6,007 payment per full-time open enrollment pupil.
2007 Wisconsin Act 222 established a virtual charter school open enrollment limit of 5,250. This limit will likely be reached within the next few years, which will prompt continued legislative debate. We make a number of recommendations for the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to provide information that can inform this debate and enhance compliance with program rules.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DPI; the teachers, high school pupils, and parents and guardians who spoke with us and responded to our surveys; and the virtual charter school administrators who responded to our requests for information. A response from DPI follows the appendices.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
