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. 1427 of the 80th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, due to the following objections:

House Bill No. 1427 would authorize the University of Houston to create a summer learning program for the College of Optometry through funding identified as a special item. This program has existed since 1987 with federal funding. In 2002, the federal grant ended, leading the university to request additional state funding in order to sustain the program. I believe the university should solicit other funds, or use some of the $6.4 million it was appropriated for Institutional Enhancement, to fund this program identified as a priority.

Higher education special item funding has ballooned out of control, increasing from $66.9 million in FY 1986-87 to more than $1 billion in FY 2008-09, an increase of 1,406 percent. I have several concerns about these items. First, many of them are advertised to the legislature as one-time requests, but funding of these projects - many of which have limited value to a school's educational mission - often continues indefinitely. Second, there is limited accountability for these funds, because institutions usually do not report on their performance. Third, many of them address local projects instead of statewide needs. Lastly, some of them are not priorities for the institutions; therefore, they don't request them. In fact, funding for this item was not requested in the University of Houston Legislative Appropriations Request.

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