May
26, 2009
The
Honorable Michael Mauro
Secretary
of State
L
O C A L
Dear
Mr. Secretary:
I hereby transmit Senate File 469, an Act
relating to and making appropriations to
the department of cultural affairs, the department of economic development,
certain board of regents institutions, the department
of workforce development, and the public employment relations board, and
related matters. Senate File 469 is approved on this date, with the exception
noted below, which I hereby disapprove.
I am unable to approve the item designated as Section 25 in its
entirety. Section 25 of the bill directs employees to submit actual
receipts for meals and other costs and requires that reimbursement up to the
maximum amount shall only be allowed in an amount equal to the sum of the
actual receipts submitted. While I agree
with the general intent of this section and believe that employees should be
reimbursed for actual expenses, this
language would be particularly difficult to administer because similar language
has not been included for every state agency or department or for the
Legislature’s own employees.
Accordingly, I have issued Executive Order Thirteen to require the
Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to implement a policy that will
require every executive department of the Culver-Judge Administration to
institute cost-effective and transparent practices that will track
reimbursements paid to state employees for meals, travel and other work-related
costs.
For
the above reasons, I respectfully disapprove of the designated item in
accordance with Article III, Section 16 of the Constitution of the State of
Sincerely,
Governor
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Chief Clerk of the House
CJC:rco