J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                     1429

This Bill provides for the creation of a Governor's Inter-
Departmental Commission on Mental Retardation.

There is already in existence a Governor's Inter-Agency Com-
mission which I established in 1963. Membership on this Commis-
sion roughly parallels that proposed in the Bill. The Chairman of the
State Board of Health and Mental Hygiene has advised me that
the present Commission is functioning and that the Board believes
that it would be premature to create a statutory commission before
the Office of Mental Retardation Planning, a unit of the State Board
of Health and Mental Hygiene, has completed its study of the prob-
lem of mental retardation. The Board strongly urges that the Bill
be vetoed.

It also should be noted that this Bill designates that one of
the Governor's Executive Assistants be named a member of the
Commission. I believe it would be unwise for any Governor to
allow the Legislature to designate members of his personal staff to
specific duties. The Governor must have sole jurisdiction over the
people he has selected to assist him to perform his duties.

For the above enumerated reasons, I feel compelled to veto Sen-
ate Bill 450.

With kindest regards, I am

Sincerely yours,

(s) J. MILLARD TAWES,

Governor.

Senate Bill No. 480—Funds Received from Strip Mining

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 673
of Article 66C of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1965 Supple-
ment), title "Natural Resources," subtitle "Mining," subheading
"Strip Mining," to provide that the State Treasurer UNDER THIS
SUBTITLE hold funds in such banks as he deems proper, and to
cause a separate accounting on the records of the State Comptroller
for both receipts and disbursement of such funds RELATING TO
THE CREDITING AND ACCOUNTING OF THESE MONIES.

May 6, 1966.

Honorable William S. James
President of the Senate
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. President:

I have today vetoed Senate Bill 480 and, in accordance with the
provisions of Article 2, Section 17 of the Maryland Constitution, I
am returning the same to you along with my message concerning
this action.