VETO MESSAGE ON SB 6396-S

                   April 3, 1998

To the Honorable President and Members,

  The Senate of the State of Washington

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I am returning herewith, without my approval, Substitute Senate Bill No. 6396 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to the Washington center for real estate research;"

     SSB 6396 would codify the Washington Center for Real Estate Research in the Washington State University College of Business and Economics.  This Center has been in existence since 1989 without statutory mention, and I do not think it should be codified now.  I support the Center and the good work of real estate professionals, which have had a very positive impact on the economic health of our state.  However, I have a fundamental disagreement with the establishment of programs or centers at our higher education institutions by statute.

     I am not opposed to generating funding for the Center through a fee on real estate licenses, and I am certainly not opposed to the Center.  But the funding should be directed to the Center through a mechanism that does not create the Center in statute.

     For this reason, I have vetoed Substitute Senate Bill No. 6396 in its entirety.

                   Respectfully submitted,

                   Gary Locke

                   Governor