Audit Release: Rehired Annuitants

My work as co-chair of the Joint Audit Committee always keeps me busy. I'm lucky to have been appointed to continue to serve as co-chair for the 2013-2014 Legislative Session. Today, the Audit Bureau released a new audit report of rehired annuitants, which quantifies the extent to which state agencies have rehired individuals who have retired from state service and eligible to collect annuity benefits from the Wisconsin Retirement System. The report shows that 2,783 WRS annuitants were rehired to state service between January 2007 and March 2012, most of whom worked part time for less than one year at the same agency they retired from. Two thirds of the total were rehired by the UW System.  Through a survey of school districts and local governments, the Audit Bureau found that most of the time, annuitants were rehired for their skills and experience. A copy of the report can be found online here. My press release on the issue is available on my website.

Tips for Giving Gift Cards this Holiday Season

Are you planning to give gift cards this Christmas? According to the National Retail Federation, more than 80% of holiday shoppers plan to give at least one gift card this year. Sales of gift cards alone are predicted to account for more than $28 billion dollars in sales this holiday season. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has issued some warnings for givers and recipients of gift cards to ensure that the public is aware of scams. Here are some of their suggestions:

• Always buy gift cards directly from the retailer or authorized merchant. Read the fine print on the card so you understand rules and fees associated with its usage.

• Inspect the card before you purchase it to make sure that no protective stickers have been removed or that the PIN has been exposed. These could be signs that the card has been tampered with.

• Always give a gift receipt with a gift card to verify the value and date of purchase. Make sure to keep the receipt until you have spent the full value of the card.

• Be wary of websites that sell gift cards second-hand. If the price is significantly lower than the declared value, it may not be legitimate.

For additional information or to file a complaint, visit the Consumer Protection Bureau at http://datcp.wisconsin.gov, send an e-mail to datcphotline@wisconsin.gov or call the Consumer Protection Hotline toll-free at 1-800-422-7128.

Improvements in FoodShare Oversight

Last week, the Department of Health Services (DHS) submitted a report to the Audit Committee about the newest developments in its oversight of the FoodShare program, formerly known as food stamps. The report was requested by the Committee as a follow-up to the Audit Bureau's audit on FoodShare, which was released earlier this year. DHS reported that it has increased fraud investigations through its new Fraud Prevention and Investigation Program (FPIP) which identified $11.3 million in cost savings in 2011 with an additional $3 million realized by the end of this calendar year. To read more about these efforts, click here for a copy of the report.

If you are interested in tracking the progress of legislation introduced this session, please visit http://legis.wisconsin.gov/ and click on the Notification Service link found on the homepage.