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Clearinghouse Rules Effective Date(s)

The Honorable, The Legislature:

At the request of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, we have completed an evaluation of the Contract Sunshine Act, which requires all state agencies to report information about contracts, requests for bids and other competitive proposals, and purchase orders totaling $10,000 or more in a fiscal biennium to the Government Accountability Board (GAB) for posting on a publicly accessible Web site.

Only 12 state agencies reported information to GAB in fiscal year (FY) 2009-10, and 38 did so during the first four months of FY 2010-11. The posted information remains incomplete and is less than fully accurate because of limitations with the Web site's design, difficulties state agencies have had in compiling data for reporting at the level of detail required by the law, and confusion about which information must be reported. As a result, the Contract Sunshine Web site is of limited value in providing the public with clear, comprehensive, and useful information.

In 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, the Legislature directed the Department of Administration (DOA) to establish a new publicly accessible Web site that will report all executive, legislative, and judicial branch expenditures for state operations exceeding $100. We include a recommendation that DOA report to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee in January 2012 on its efforts to implement that Web site. If it can be successfully implemented, the new Web site will surpass the Contract Sunshine Web site in scope and potential usefulness to the public, and the Legislature should then consider repealing the Contract Sunshine statutes. If the Legislature chooses to retain the Contract Sunshine statutes, we present several statutory modifications that would somewhat improve the Contract Sunshine Web site's usefulness to the public.

We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by GAB. Its response follows the appendices.

The Honorable, The Legislature:

The Vietnam Veterans of America continues to be the largest Vietnam War veteran's organization comprised solely of veterans of that war, in both Wisconsin and the United States. During the biennium, VVA's membership is approximately 1,922 with 33 chapters throughout Wisconsin. VVA is Wisconsin's fifth largest veteran's organization and has been represented on the Council of Veterans Programs since 1994.

For a full list of the Wisconsin activites of the VVA from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011, please request the full report.

The Honorable, The Legislature:

It is with pleasure that I forward the FY09 Annual Report for Wisconsin's Home Energy Plus Public Benefits Program. The Public Benefits Program was created in 1999 by Act 9 to preserve the benefits of energy efficiency, renewable energy and low-income energy assistance for the residents of Wisconsin. Since 2005, public benefits funding continues under Wisconsin Act 141, which allows the state to increase the number of households served. The segregated Public Benefits Fund, which supports the Home Energy Plus Programs, is funded by electric and natural gas utility ratepayers. Investor-owned utilities, participating municipal and cooperative utilities serve about 85 percent of the state's electricity customers.

Wisconsin's public benefits programs are administered by the Department of Administration, Division of Energy Services through the Home Energy Plus Program and encompass two distinct delivery areas. The Weatherization Assistance Program provides weatherization and conservation services, and the Home Energy Assistance Program provides bill payment assistance to resident households with incomes at or below 60 percent State Median Income.

Please take a few minutes to peruse this annual report. I am confident that you will find a comprehensive, productive Home Energy Plus Public Benefits Program. The State of Wisconsin can be justifiably proud of this achievement and the support from our partners and program providers.

You can also find this report on the Home Energy Plus Website at http://homeenergyplus.wi.gov/category.asp?linkcatid=566&linkid=122&locid=25

S434 I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Dittmar, Beverly, of Eagle River, as a member of the Snowmobile Recreational Council, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2013.