VETO MESSAGE ON SB 6583-S

                   March 21, 1996

To the Honorable President and Members,

  The Senate of the State of Washington

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I am returning herewith, without my approval as to section 4, Substitute Senate Bill No. 6583 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to higher education;"

     Substitute Senate Bill No. 6583 establishes definitions for full and part-time academic employees in the community and technical college system for the purpose of standardizing medical and retirement benefits and requires a task force to study, provide recommendations on, and implement best practices regarding academic employee benefits.

     This legislation includes an emergency clause in section 4.  Funding to implement the provisions of this bill is included in the supplemental budget and cannot be expended until fiscal year 1997.  Since the bill without section 4 is otherwise effective 90 days following the close of the legislative session, which is before the start of fiscal year 1997, the emergency clause is without moment.

     Moreover, the inclusion of an emergency clause prevents this bill from being subject to a referendum under Article II, section 1 (b) of the state Constitution and unnecessarily denies the people of this state their power, at their own option, to approve or reject this bill at the polls.

     For these reasons, I have vetoed section 4 of Substitute Senate Bill No. 6583.

     With the exception of section 4, Substitute Senate Bill No. 6583 is approved.

                   Respectfully submitted,

                   Mike Lowry

                   Governor