BILL NUMBER:  AB 606
  VETOED	DATE: 09/28/2006




To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 606 without my signature.

This bill mandates that the State Department of Education develop a
model antidiscrimination policy that prohibits discrimination based
on specified characteristics already in law.  It also mandates school
districts adopt this model in their district.

I have spent most of my life committed to fighting discrimination and
teaching our children tolerance for all persons, irrespective of
race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religious creed, disability or
sexual orientation.  However well intentioned, this bill creates a
new state mandate on schools at a time when our state currently owes
almost half a billion dollars in unpaid mandates.  Adding another
unfunded state mandate to our school districts when we have not paid
for existing mandates is  irresponsible.  The mandates still unfunded
include earthquake emergency procedures, immunization programs, AIDS
prevention programs, criminal background checks on school employees,
removal and disposal of chemicals, administering and reporting
standardized tests, among others.

Additionally the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention
Act of 2000 already prohibits discrimination and harassment in
California Public Schools.  A task force created by the Department of
Education to recommend ways to implement this Act released its
report to school districts in 2001.  On April 30, 2004, the
Department of Educations General Counsel issued a legal advisory to
all county and district superintendents explaining the laws related
to discrimination.  According to this document, every local
educational agency is required to have a policy against
discrimination and harassment that applies to all the protected
categories of students and a complaint procedure that enforces that
policy.

It is the responsibility and obligation of the Department of
Education to ensure that school districts are complying with this
important law and I strongly encourage a zero tolerance for any
violation of these prohibitions against discrimination and harassment
in our schools.

For these reasons, I am unable to sign this measure.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger