VETO MESSAGE ON HB 2089-S

                   May 14, 1997

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 section 1, Substitute House Bill No. 2089 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to identification of livestock;"

     Substitute House Bill No. 2089 evolved from an ongoing effort among the Washington State Department of Agriculture ("WSDA") and various sectors of the livestock industry to agree on a combination of fees and responsibilities for operating the Livestock Identification Program.

     SHB 2089 maintains fees charged by the Livestock Identification Advisory Board at their current level until July 1, 1998.  This will allow the parties to continue efforts to resolve their differences and bring a constructive proposal to the 1998 Legislature.

     Section 1 of this bill would amend the responsibilities of the Advisory Board.  While I agree with most of the proposed changes, one change is not appropriate.  That change is the requirement that the WSDA director consult the Advisory Board before hiring or dismissing supervisory personnel.  Personnel actions are the purview of agency managers who are legally responsible for the decisions they make, and who must defend any challenges to those decisions.  It is an unwarranted and inappropriate intrusion into agency operations for a citizen advisory board to have a statutory role in such decisions.

     For this reason, I have vetoed section 1 of Substitute House Bill 2089.

     With the exception of section 1, I am approving Substitute House Bill No. 2089.

                   Respectfully submitted,

                   Gary Locke

                   Governor