Message - June 15, 2007

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EIGHTIETH TEXAS LEGISLATURE, REGULAR SESSION:

Pursuant to Article IV, Sections 14 and 15 of the Texas Constitution, I, Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, do hereby disapprove and veto House Bill No. 1023 of the 80th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, due to the following objections:

House Bill No. 1023 would add the Texas Commission on the Arts' (TCA) mini-grant process to the agency's enabling legislation to reflect the current rules and practices of the commission.

Current state law reflects only the commission's annual grant process. In the mini-grant process, the commission delegates the authority to approve grant awards of $500 or less to the executive director. The awards are reviewed quarterly by the full commission.

Awarding grants is one of three primary functions of the TCA and should, therefore, be a process that the commissioners actively engage in. Current statute requires the commission to "develop and implement policies that clearly separate the policy-making responsibilities of the commission and the management responsibilities of the executive director." The mini-grant process circumvents the commissioners' role in grant approval by allowing the executive director to approve grant awards. Commissioners need to do their job.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have signed my name officially and caused the Seal of the State to be affixed hereto at Austin, this the 15th day of June, 2007.

RICK PERRY
Governor of Texas

ATTESTED BY:
ROGER WILLIAMS
Secretary of State