LONG BEACH : Wilson Again Vetoes Bill Creating a Jazz Institute

For the second straight year, Gov. Pete Wilson has vetoed a bill that would have created a jazz preservation institute at Cal State Long Beach.

In his veto message, Wilson said he did not object to the concept of the institute, only its potential cost. The plan could have siphoned “scarce public educational dollars” from academic programs, he said.

The bill was pushed by Assemblyman Willard H. Murray Jr. (D-Paramount), a jazz aficionado who said he wants to reverse the decline of the art form. The institute would have established an archive and promoted the performance and study of jazz.

Murray called Tuesday’s veto disappointing, but vowed to reintroduce the measure next year. He said he is confident that he can address the governor’s concern with language that limits funding to private donations and grants from public agencies that fund the arts.