1969]                   OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES                       39

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

Annapolis, Md., June 20, 1969.

Honorable Thomas Hunter Lowe
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17, of the Maryland Consti-
tution, I have today vetoed House Bill 1187 and am returnnig it to you.

This Bill, as originally introduced, specified the lengths of vacations
to which Baltimore City policemen were entitled, depending upon years of
service in the Department. In the course of the legislative process, the
detailed provisions of the Bill were stricken out, and the amended version
merely provides the Baltimore City police officers "shall be entitled to the
same number of vacation days annually as is provided for other municipal
employees from time to time."

I am in complete agreement with the purpose underlying this Bill,
which is to provide policemen with a reasonable amount of vacation leave
such as other public employees have. However, I believe that, as a matter
of public policy, provisions concerning policemen's vacation leave should
be promulgated by police department regulations instead of legislative
enactments.

Moreover, the Attorney General has advised me that this particular
Bill, because of its wording, presents serious problems. The Bill gives
Baltimore City police officers the "same number of vacation days annually
as is provided for other municipal employees ......." The Attorney Gen-
eral's opinion regarding the Bill states that there is no uniform vacation
policy applicable to all other municipal employees and that therefore the
Bill may be too vague for the legislative intent to be carried out.

For the above reasons, I have concluded that House Bill 1187 should
be vetoed. However, the Baltimore City Police Commissioner has assured
me that he will promulgate regulations which will give Baltimore City
policemen the vacation leave which the General Assembly intended them
to have.

Sincerely,

/s/ Marvin Mandel,
Governor.

Read and journalized.

Vetoed by the Governor—May 28, 1969

House Bill No. 1187—By Delegates Chester, Krysiak, Silk, Adams, Bullock,
Walters, Antonelli, Cassady, Holub, Dypski and Bonvegna:

An Act to add new Section 543A to the Charter and Public Local
Laws of Baltimore City (1949 Edition, being Article 4 of the Code of
Public Local Laws of Maryland), title "Baltimore City," subtitle "Police
Department of Baltimore City," to follow immediately after Section 542
thereof, as last amended by Chapter 203 of the Acts of 1966, providing for
vacation periods for certain members of the Police Department of Balti-
more City.