Senate Bill
161
, relating to
creating forest enterprise areas; the creation of a managed forest land board of review; review of certain decisions of the Department of Natural Resources regarding forestry practices on managed forest land; annual allowable timber harvests; management plans for large ownerships of managed forest land and for group enrollments; designation of additional managed forest land; leasing of managed forest land; the taxation of managed forest land; granting rule-making authority; requiring the exercise of rule-making authority; and making an appropriation,
withdrawn from committee on Natural Resources and Environment and rereferred to committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education.
Sincerely,
MICHAEL G. ELLIS
Senate President
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Government Accountability Board
August 2, 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/.
Gefvert, Karen Wisconsin Farm Bureau
Federation
Myrah, Gary Wisconsin Council for
Administrators of Special
Services
Zelenkova, Ramie Sunovion Pharmaceuticals
Inc.
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 & General Counsel
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
August 4, 2011
The Honorable, The Legislature:
As requested by the Public Service Commission (PSC), we have completed a financial audit of the Universal Service Fund (USF). Our audit report contains our unqualified opinion on the financial statements prepared by USF management for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2010 and 2009.
The USF funds a variety of telecommunications and other programs. It is funded by assessments on telecommunications providers that are typically recovered from consumers. In fiscal year (FY) 2009-10, provider assessments totaled $51.7 million and the USF provided $41.8 million in funding for 13 programs operated by 4 state agencies.
Two programs - the Educational Telecommunications Access Program and Aid to Public Library Systems - represented nearly 80.0 percent of the USF's FY 2009-10 program expenditures. The USF has been the sole funding source for Aid to Public Library Systems since FY 2008-09. The Educational Telecommunications Access Program is managed by the Department of Administration (DOA) and subsidizes more than 900 K-12 schools, technical colleges, public libraries, and other educational institutions' access to a broadband voice, video, and data network known as the BadgerNet Converged Network. Our report includes a recommendation for DOA to ensure that an administrative fee it charges the USF for services related to use of the BadgerNet Converged Network reflects only the actual costs of providing those services. We estimate that at least $4.3 million of $5.4 million that DOA lapsed to the General Fund to meet budgeting requirements under
2007 Wisconsin Act 226 and
2009 Wisconsin Acts 2 and
28 represents excess administrative service fees paid by the USF in the past five years.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by staff of the PSC and three other agencies that manage USF programs - DOA, the Department of Public Instruction, and the University of Wisconsin System - as well as by the USF's administrator, Wipfli LLP.
Respectfully submitted,
joe chrisman
Interim State Auditor
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
August 1, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Church
, John,
of Janesville, as a member of the Chiropractic Examining Board, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2013.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Health.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
August 3, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Cory
, Patrick,
of Madison, as a member of the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan Authority, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2013.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Health.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
August 3, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Harrison, Lynn,
of Elk Mound, as a member of the Land and Water Conservation Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2015.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
August 3, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Lappin
, Michael,
of Mequon, as a member of the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan Authority, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2014.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Health.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
August 3, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint OBrien
, Patrick,
of Larsen, as a member of the Hearing and Speech Examining Board, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2015.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Health.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
August 3, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Peirick, Carol,
of Middleton, as a member of the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan Authority, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2014.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Health.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
August 3, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Rambo
, Larry,
of Hartland, as a member of the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan Authority, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2014.
