J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                        485

House Bill No. 282—Purchases by Public Agencies

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 34 of
Article 15A of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1963 Supplement),
title "Budget and Procurement," subtitle "Purchasing Bureau,"
amending the law BY ELIMINATING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS
concerning purchases for and the purchasing program of certain
departments, boards, commission, offices, courts, bureaus or other
agencies of the State Government, . in order to provide that nothing
in this section applies to or affects the several Boards of Supervisors

of Elections, the several offices of State's Attorneys and the Circuit

Courts in the counties and the Supreme Bench in Baltimore City

Courts in the counties and the Supreme Bench in Baltimore City.

April 7, 1964

Honorable Marvin Mandel
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with the provisions of Article 2, Section 17, of the
Maryland Constitution, I have today vetoed House Bill 282 and I am
returning this Bill to you along with my veto message.

At the request and on the recommendation of the State Law
Department Section 34 of Article 15A of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1963 Supplement) was enacted at the 1963 Session of the
General Assembly. This legislation clarified the doubtful status of
budget and procurement matters of State Agencies supported in whole
or in substantial part by local political subdivisions by placing pur-
chasing control responsibility under the local subdivisions.

House Bill 282 runs directly counter to the recommendations of
the Law Department as adopted by the 1963 General Assembly and in
effect leaves such agencies entirely without access to or control by
either the State or the local subdivision purchasing bureau.

This in my opinion is not in the best interests of economy or
orderly administration of budgetary and purchasing matters.

This opinion is supported by data revealing that purchasing con-
trol by the local subdivisions under the law as it presently stands can
and in fact has resulted in substantial savings of public funds.

For the reasons outlined above I feel compelled to veto House
Bill 282.

With kindest regards, I am

Sincerely yours,

(s) J. MILLARD TAWES,

Governor.