VETO MESSAGE ON HB 1333-S

                   May 18, 1993

To the Honorable Speaker and Members,

  The House of Representatives of the State of Washington

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I am returning herewith, without my approval as to sections 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10, Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 1333 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to youth gang violence reduction;"

     I applaud the legislature for its efforts to address growing youth violence and gang activity by funding locally-based programs to intervene to reduce the violence that is creating so much suffering for local communities and young people.  I am enthusiastic about the local programs that would be initiated as a result of this legislation.  I am convinced that early intervention, with the active involvement of local schools, community groups and parents, has the best chance to help respond to these problems.  However, I am concerned that conflicting and overly prescriptive language in some sections of the legislation will make the task of implementing the legislation more difficult.

     I am vetoing section 5 of the legislation, which defines a process for funding local projects through local school districts because the section conflicts with provisions of section 4 which also provides for funding of local projects through grants from the state Department of Community Development.  While I am vetoing this section, I agree with the legislature that active involvement of local schools districts can be extremely helpful in establishing successful local youth violence prevention projects.  As a result, I am directing the Department of Community Development to work to develop a funding process that actively involves local school districts, consistent with the spirit of section 5.

     I am vetoing sections 7, 8, and 10 of the legislation because the sections are overly prescriptive in their requirements of the state agencies.  The references in these sections referring back to section 5 also made the provisions less than clear.  While I am vetoing these sections, I do believe that state agencies should cooperate with the local programs funded by this legislation.  As a result, I am directing the Department of Community Development to work with other state agencies to develop a plan for state agency collaboration to assist local programs funded under this section.

     I am vetoing section 9 of this legislation because the provision is not clear enough to implement effectively.  I believe that the concept of the full-service school, in which a local school would serve as a focal point for local community activities, is a promising one.  I encourage the legislature and proponents of this provision to address the issue at greater length in a future session.

     For these reasons, I have vetoed sections 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 1333.

     With the exception of sections 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10, Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 1333 is approved.

                   Respectfully submitted,

                   Mike Lowry

                   Governor