Placed the following appointments and proposal on the Senate Calendar of Thursday, February 10, 2011:
PETE BILDSTEN
RICHARD CHANDLER
Senate Joint Resolution
3
Ayes: 5 - Senators Fitzgerald, Ellis, Grothman, Miller and Hansen.
Noes: 0 - None.
SCOTT FITZGERALD
Chairperson
__________________
Read and referred:
Senate Joint Resolution 11
Relating to: recognizing 2011 as World Veterinary Year.
By
Senators
Harsdorf, Olsen, Moulton, Vinehout, Kedzie, Risser, S. Coggs, Lassa, Taylor and Cowles; cosponsored by Representatives Knudson, Ballweg, Berceau, Bies, Brooks, Marklein, Mursau, A. Ott, Pasch, Pope-Roberts, Ripp, Spanbauer, Strachota, Tauchen, Tranel and Williams.
To committee on Senate Organization.
Read first time and referred:
Senate Bill 17
Relating to: reporting of information by nonresident registrants under the campaign finance law.
By
Senators
Harsdorf, Cowles, Holperin and T. Cullen; cosponsored by Representatives Spanbauer, Bernier, Hintz, Hulsey, Mason, Parisi, Pope-Roberts, Rivard, Steineke and Bernard Schaber.
To committee on Transportation and Elections.
__________________
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Government Accountability Board
February 1, 2011
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 2011-2012 session of the legislature, visit the Government Accountability Board's web site at:
http://gab.wi.gov/S108
Appling, Julaine K Wisconsin Family Action Inc
Bailey, Kyle WISPIRG (Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group)
Beiriger, Jeffrey J Wisconsin Water Well
Association Inc
Belanger, Katie Fair Wisconsin Inc.
Bennett, Beth Wisconsin Newspaper
Association
Boetcher, David International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Construction Electrician
Local Unions
Buchen, Elizabeth J Lutheran Social Services of
Wisconsin & Upper Michigan Inc
Cardona, Mary Wisconsin Association of
Public, Educational and
Government Access
Channels, Inc.
Christianson, Peter C Wisconsin Newspaper
Association
Cook, Andrew American Coalition for Clean
Coal Electricity
Duffy, Melissa WisconsinRx
Elverman, Timothy J Blood Center of Wisconsin,
Inc.
Elverman, Timothy J Plumbers Local 75
Essie, Patrick Wisconsin Energy
Corporation
Fassbender, Robert I American Coalition for Clean
Coal Electricity
Finger-Warmuth, Sara Wisconsin Alliance for
Women's Health, Inc.
Fojtik, Brian RAI Services Company
(formerly Reynolds American Inc.)
Fonfara, Thomas Wisconsin State Firefighters'
Association Inc
Foti, Steven Wisconsin Energy
Corporation
Geiger, Karen Wellpoint Inc./Anthem Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin
Gerrard, M William Ashley Furniture Industries
Inc
Gundermann, Robert Alzheimer's & Dementia
Alliance of Wisconsin
Hanson, Peter Wisconsin Restaurant
Association
Horn, Melissa American Heart Association
Hoven, Timothy School Nutrition Association
of Wisconsin, The
Hubbard, Gregory American Heart Association
Hubbard, Gregory Plumbers Local 75
Hubbard, Gregory Wisconsin Energy
Corporation
Hudzinski, Nicole American Heart Association
Jensen, Eric Wisconsin Academy of
Ophthalmology
Johns, Jason E Oneida Tribe of Indians of
Wisconsin
Kammer, Peter Wisconsin Energy
Corporation
Kent, Paul Bergstrom Automotive
Kent, Paul Municipal Environmental
Group - Wastewater Division
Klaetsch, George AstraZeneca
Pharmaceuticals LP
Larson, David Lutheran Social Services of
Wisconsin & Upper Michigan Inc
Lawton, Elizabeth Midwest Environmental
Advocates, Inc.
Lump, Edward Wisconsin Restaurant
Association
McIntosh, Forbes Wisconsin Energy
Corporation
Mitchell, Brian Wisconsin Underground
Contractors Association
Natzke, Ryan School Nutrition Association
of Wisconsin, The
Nelson, Shannon WISPIRG (Wisconsin Public
Interest Research Group)
Parr, Gail Wisconsin Restaurant
Association
Pawlisch, Curt Wisconsin Land and Water
Conservation Association,
Inc.
Petersen, Andrew S. TDS Telecommunications
Corporation
Petersen, Eric J RAI Services Company
(formerly Reynolds American Inc.)
Pfaff, Shawn AT&T Wisconsin
Redman, Scott Plumbers Local 75
Rogowski, Michael Get MOR Enterprises LLC
Rogowski, Michael Insight Schools
Roth, Erin American Petroleum Institute
Severson, Megan Wisconsin Environment, Inc.
Simaytis, Anne American Heart Association
Speight, Bruce WISPIRG (Wisconsin Public
Interest Research Group)
Spring, Gregory United Staff Union
Springer, Thomas J Insight Schools
Springer, Thomas J University of Phoenix
Spross, David RAI Services Company
(formerly Reynolds American Inc.)
Stenger, Scott RAI Services Company
(formerly Reynolds American Inc.)
Taffora, Brian Wisconsin Business Council
Tenuta, James Oneida Tribe of Indians of
Wisconsin
Tenuta, James Wisconsin State Reading
Association
Theo, Michael Wisconsin Energy
Corporation
Thompson, Craig Transportation Development
Association of Wisconsin
(TDA)
Thompson, Scott Wisconsin Environment, Inc.
Vornholt, Paul City of Milwaukee
Welsh, Michael School Nutrition Association
of Wisconsin, The
Wilson, A.J. American Heart Association
Wilson, A.J. Wisconsin Energy
Corporation
Winters, Amy CropLife America
Wiswell Sr, Jeffrey L Wisconsin Sheriffs and
Deputy Sheriffs Association
Wright, Kimberlee Midwest Environmental
Advocates, Inc.
Zelazny, Julian Wisconsin Land and Water
Conservation Association,
Inc.
Zelenkova, Ramie Blood Center of Wisconsin,
Inc.
Zelenkova, Ramie Plumbers Local 75
Also available from the Wisconsin Government Accountability 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,
kevin kennedy
Director and General Counsel
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Revenue
February 1, 2011
The Honorable, The Legislature:
I am submitting the quarterly report of the Wisconsin Lottery for the quarter ending December 31, 2010, as required by s.
565.37(3), Wis. Stats. The attached materials contain unaudited Wisconsin Lottery year-to-date Revenue and Expenditure information.
The information reported here is a summary and is not intended to be a complete financial accounting of Wisconsin Lottery operations.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this report, please feel free to contact me at (608) 266-6466.
Sincerely,
richard g. chandler
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
February 9, 2011
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of the Wisconsin Veterans Homes, as requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. The homes are administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). As of December 2009, they provided skilled nursing or assisted living care to a total of 887 veterans and their spouses. In fiscal year (FY) 2008-09, the homes' combined expenditures totaled $89.7 million. Operating expenditures increased by 64.2 percent during the five-year period we reviewed, largely because Union Grove opened a new skilled nursing facility in September 2006.
We identified significant financial and program management issues at the veterans homes. For example, operating expenditures have exceeded revenues in four of the past five fiscal years, and the homes remain solvent largely because of a one-time Medical Assistance reimbursement rate adjustment of $20.1 million received in FY 2005-06 for care provided at King. Staffing requirements established by state and federal law have been met, but the homes have relied on overtime and limited-term employees to help address long-term staffing needs. Funding for the Aid to Indigent Veterans program, which assists veterans who cannot afford the full cost of assisted living care, has also increased significantly, and the program operates under policies that have frequently changed and are unclear. In a review of 20 participants' files, we found 4 instances in which eligibility had not been appropriately assessed.
The veterans homes purchased $17.0 million in goods and services in FY 2008-09. We found numerous violations of state purchasing requirements in the documentation we reviewed, including noncompliance with prescribed procedures, expenditures made outside of statutory and budgetary authority, and inadequate oversight and monitoring. Turnover in key leadership positions has hampered oversight of veterans homes operations, and because of the homes' projected operating deficits in FY 2010-11, which we reported in August 2010, continuing legislative oversight will be important.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DVA in completing this evaluation. DVA's response follows the appendices.
Sincerely,
janice mueller
State Auditor
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
February 9, 2011
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed our financial audit of the University of Wisconsin (UW) System for the years ended June 30, 2010 and 2009. UW System's financial statements and our unqualified audit opinion on them, dated December 10, 2010, have been included in UW System's 2010 Annual Financial Report, which is enclosed. This report will be presented to the UW Board of Regents at its meetings on February 10 and 11.
UW System unrestricted net assets, which represent the amount available to be used to meet ongoing obligations, increased by $120.2 million to $502.7 million as of June 30, 2010. According to UW System officials, these funds have been designated by the Board of Regents for purposes to fulfill UW System's responsibilities, including academic and research programs and capital projects.
General Purpose Revenue (GPR), which is shown as State Appropriations on UW System's financial statements, decreased 3.7 percent, from $1,012.1 million in fiscal year (FY) 2008-09 to $974.4 million in FY 2009-10. This funding does not include GPR funding that is used to repay debt on academic facilities, which is technically debt of the State of Wisconsin and not UW System. Such debt service payments totaled $52.7 million for FY 2009-10 and $123.9 million for FY 2008-09.
Operating revenues increased by $237.7 million, or 8.3 percent, from FY 2008-09. Federal grants and contracts revenue accounted for the largest portion of this change, increasing from $733.4 million in FY 2008-09 to $813.3 million in FY 2009-10. We also note that tuition and fees increased by $73.1 million.
UW System's total operating expenses were $4.1 billion in FY 2009-10. Operating expenses increased by $92.5 million, or 2.3 percent from FY 2008-09. Salaries and fringe benefits increased by $67.5 million and supplies and services expenditures decreased by $27.3 million. Salaries and fringe benefits represented 66.7 percent of all UW System operating costs, while supplies and services accounted for 25.0 percent.
Enclosed is a management letter, which includes an auditor's report on compliance and internal control over financial reporting, as required by Government Auditing Standards. This letter was provided to the UW System and includes four internal control concerns we identified during our audit and that are required to be reported under these standards.
Sincerely,
janice mueller
State Auditor
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
February 1, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Darling, Alberta,
of River Hills, as a member of the College Savings Program Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2013.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education.
__________________
Relating to the regulation of professional boxing contests.
Submitted by Department of Regulation and Licensing.
S110
Report received from Agency, February 8, 2011.
Referred to committee on Labor, Public Safety, and Urban Affairs, February 9, 2011.
