Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

-. ,” OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN opted Ralmta Ro8olu- -alnth am&ate 0r ruPwaRt’to wah &rut* Ro8olutlon aad mtioo, ard ~mlout .hlt7wll rra tha oouartwr, th@ 8watolw mat 1R th but. ohmbar on tha 8th da7 of satwary, 1946. Aftar a QuommURI obtalaod, l r a q wr t mm ma6. oi tin Oovornor that jioaor*bl. (km@ H. Shepprb, paBe 2 b penat to thea his aoPllIastioas for vmrioum off~ose fillmd br hW after ths sdjourmat of ths Iaglrlature in Juas 1945. fhereupoQ the group “stood et vesv” vat11 Jsaw7 21, d46. The ooveraor iailed to present say aon1ast1wr. p 1 1 or rth lrw0e.~ lppoIatws vnsobt.1ae4 r r o m th ek o r stuJ 0s8tste, a Qala M attempted lwatin eeuIon, at 5845 ?.Y. on ~aapul 2L 1946, the nameOS mm knga urosler es a wmtmr sad chdrun of ths Texas uasmplo)wa f 0apsaut1oa Oalsrllnl for the tom 0 irIQ& monmber 26, 1946 vss rojestsd, &ad the 4eontu7 3 the 8eMt. h 8 pw&d fou vlth l wr tl- floats to thlr sffsot. All othvr aens VSCS OOarIrmd. Y6u~rdrIr uut the T8us uaomp107msatoovpsasstIoa comlssloa w7roll for the math of Jsnvsr7 he been prswat- ld to you for vursats to Issue la payment thereof. This psy- roll our108 ths a8ms of ths Oh4lmsa, 8srr7 Bsagp Crozlor, for thv fall month of Jsauu7. You her, sakod the oplaloa OS thlr &opmtmat oa ths follovlag quoStIoas: ths mtloa bf the Esaati as sortlS1.d b7 ths 8eoretu7 oi the kastot 2. Are JOU prohibited by law Sra aooeptlty th ewtlo a o fthe knete o nI& . ppolat- Or o slsr gls uat es v8lltl oa Ifs fmot UhIlo ths lnedlato quostloa proseated la this rs- wut is vhather tha Oomptroller 18 required to lssus b VW- r a ntinp ep ea otfuu lp p o la teo wlnr7, ’s lt p0a.r tb ul- tint0 question 0r th8 loylitt of th0 retilrg oi thi kastors vas rs wtod. lt whloh ths lg p a 1 nt.o Ii sash wstl~ -8 Ia- nlld ths l olatss, bwirrg a uly qrulIiIu& holds his oiiloe legeli untl P rsjsoted by ths 8enste et 4 valid sssL&oa. If tlw wssloa vas mild, then t&n lppolatoe~s rojoatloa operato to moat* the ofiloe sad OS eouree no sslsr~ thuofor 18 su- thOrI8ed. This wtlag or tha &Mtow vsa velld ualoss it Plslnly ooatravvaes ths Coastltutloa of ths 8tsto of lW88 lM rerogalsiag that It VW l slno o r e attempt by mhosmaro- Pr*rmatmtlns of the pooplo to dlsaharge th0l.r ooantltutloasl Bonorsble Oeorge B. Sheppard, psge 3 duties, Its rslidltr her baea ooa8Idorod la the light of the Veu-SSttiS6 pmbOip~# VhiOh ~SVS gUld*d thr Courta la their gusrdisashlp of the orgsaio lsv. P.uuouat of rush plaolples la thst the paver of the bgI@l.StWo of TuM, OS vhlsh ths Ssasto Is sa Iatagrsl psrt, la vIrtusll7 sbsoluto sad Is nstrlotod oa17 br express or aooesssrll~ Impllod prohibitions of thm Coastitutioa. It IS m8Id thSt thS dtSto OoastItutloa la Sa Iastrunat of rules sad msxlms In ssoordsaso vith vhIoh tha othorvlso absolute povrrs 0r soverui(prt7 must ba lxeroiad. Psre~athrtloslly, it me7 lw noted that the Coagress of the Wltod atstem dlfrws in Its fUQOtlOQ from the Wiats LogIslAta?e Ia thst tha Fodersl Coimtltutloa Is oas of sas8orstod povors. Hoosuss of this broad paver sad slso becsuw the Isgislrtao Is S brmwh OS tha Oovoramsat oo-ordinate vlth the judlolor~, the oourts vlll ladulgs the prasuaptioa thst ths kglslstum iatmadad no vlolstioa OS ths OoastItutIoa sad ~111 uphold lay oi Its rots vhero thorn Is S teaSUS basis ror so doing. ml. Ssmptloa, hovovvr, Is aot ooaslaslve sad uhmana Aot of tE XagIslatvrS, or of either tbu &rut* or the Rouse oil Roprrssat8tlves, plaLal ooatravoaes the CoastItatIoa, there IS a 0ompmll1agdut7 to hoIa that Aot invalid. There is, then, to ooasIder this meotlag of the kastors In tba light of the portiaant provIslcas of the Ooa8tItutIaa of Texss. The psople era roverslga aad In the lx e r o laof th0i.r labmoot powrti hsvs orutml S Oovvramsat saa dlvldwl the pavers thonoi Into thme dlstlact dSpsrtmsat8, aSoh of vhloh 18 ooafIdS6 to l SspSrSto bod7 of lu(lstrac~ -- thorn vhloh are &gIslatIvm to oa.8 thosa vhioh sre Rxaoutlrs to roothej ud thoss vhlah S~S JvdIoISl to mothor. Artlolr 2, SSotLoa 1, of tbm Qoastltutloa, rftor deilalag suoh wpuste dapsrtmsats, provldesr %ad ac person, or oollootloa of persons,bet- lag of oao of then deput88at8, till lerolu any powr proper17 lttaohod Lo either of the others, oxwpt la the Iastwoes heroin oxproms- ly parUtted. This masge Is sa IahIbItloa. It I8 Stroag l@ag- asge, Iateaded to prevent ou OS the uld brsaohos OS the State Oovvranat iron tuabrtrkiag to do vhSt tha orgsala law of the State direotr shill or’msr bs doa~ only by sucther. A... ii goaorsbls borga H. %epprd, psge 4 Relstlog to the ooarealog of the lagirlature, aSa ths order o? busIaess of its regular SeSSiOS, Artiole 3, s00- tIca 5, of the CoastItutioa pPOtidO8: -7s thereof siisll k dew&d to the Introd& lag of bills rod reso~utI6a8, wtlng upon emsr- mm87 lp p r o p l*tlo pa es s,sla iur nath io o a ?lr ms- tl9 ao fth ereoeu smo la twso fth mUonrnor a a d sueh emerceasY utters as msf be submitted bt the Oonraor in sieolslwsuges~to the IaglslatLre~ pro+Ided thst emlag the sucoeedlag thIrt7 ds7s of the regular seuloa of tas Lagislat ure the varlou8 ocsmIttees a? lsch House sballhold hebr- logs to ooa8Ider sll bills sad reso1utIoas sad otherrttersthenpeadlagyl and suchewrdeao7 matters 8s mar be submitted by the Oovernpr~ pro- vided further that aura the r0u0mg 8ixtr ds.8 the Iagiehture shsll not \~gonmushbills d rosolutloas-as -7 be then pondlagand upon sssh~enageas~mattersSm ru7 bo eubmlttedb7 the t&VOPQOr iQ 89OOiti ~888~8 t0 t&O ~~i#~tUW; prorlded h&ever, either House u7 otherrln de- termlam Its order OS busIaess b7 aa s??Irutlte vote of ?ou,-flithe of Its wmbershlp.” (ma- phe.18 saaed) It vo ula l u fra the uaderllaed portion of the bbore that ths Log18r tune u7 aot bs ooaveaed after sa sd- jouranat #lawdls except by the clovernor. Uhea the Coastl- tutioa spesks, the Le~islsture osa sot on17 la~the meaner 8ad ’to th elxteaa orlded sad the rule thmt %a lxpresnd latea- tloa la sa Impr ied lxclusIoan la held to be se sp llcsble to Doa8titutLoas as to 8trtutes (Araold v. Lsosmrd, s 7% 8.Y. 799). It la @Ia that ‘the sr?lmatlve presorIptIoas sad general srrsagemeats o? the Ooastitutloa sre . . . ?rult?ul o? restrrIats upoa thm t~Islstae,* sad that “ever7 positive $aw$oa aoataiar sa Upllortloa sgslast sa7thio(l ooatrux (C00le~‘. a~8tituthi8i Llm1tst10a.; 8th ml., p. 177) l Oa der slmllsr ooastItutloPu‘l prorlsIons it hss been held that rhea the Legislstur~ he sdjouraed et the sxpirstIoa of Its term, It osaaot sgsla be lsv?ull oslled to&her ex- OSpt bx the Ooreraor. (Dyer v. f3h~w, 28 1 PSO. 776, 139 0kI.s. Honorable Oeorgs 8. 8heppsrd, psge 5 1651 8%mpsoatr Hill, 263 F+ss. 6% 126 okls. Sgr &eash v. stat. 8amstc, 80 pao. 1031, 146 cai. 604) Rowevor, the ridat 0s t& Lsglslature to ooaveae itnlr is a& atrIOt the qwstloa, but rhothor sac ~oase Osa Ooa- vane Vlthwt da other Is aoatrolll kotloa 5, above, IadIrnkr bey’otd any doubt that the'3. lg I e lUlvsbrrooh of the Oorrrammnt is aapossd 0s tvo ilrtogrnl put8 -- tha ERUH 0s Rsp~natatlvosmd the k-t* -- aad thatthetvoOombiMd err't&LesUlatu?r~ thd6olthsr Ibasoambsvs uyv~IdIt~ o rb elalx8ept # whoaoornud aad o~~lsad as tba or-o lsv of the 8tnk pr0l1&8. Astloa on the rvwd mtters oaa _.. be taba oal7 vhoa the 8mto 18 d la sessloa lM dul7 org8aleod, a there 18 mothlag la Ooast1tat1oa author- islag muoho r g e a lsstlo lraept a rhea t&e Hour 0s Reprvnatm- tires ooavo~s also aad Is oJlpa.lsod as the OoastItutIoa pro- dAe8. fhis prorisioa a8ptiv08 th8 id08 that, for say 0s the purposes awed thenIa, 01th~ Xoun oaa hsve sa ladapead- ant nssIoa. The rutho?ltJ of the aobmaor to ooovsna the Lo,g- ,.- _ _ -. no tlp p euto lo 4, aeat1oa a,--+Fwl&.;. .. Wn Cio vo r a oma r r a o n lx tr io r dlueef o so s- sio a s,o o a vo a th s e o o vo r ma t, or 8t th a t should be la pos.sessloa 0s the pabl3.s laea7, or lnorse of the wovskase a? dlsesnthsreat. 33m mtamtim th0we hu stat0 -0iri0- %hoLe&lslat& la hero truatod (&it la In llmost sll 0s tbs Qoastltutloa~s nveateoa utlales) as l ua ltld sIderat1oa to sabjssts designated b7 the OonrMr. Another ooastltutIoasl prorIsIoa vhioh rlevs ths bglslsture am s unit sad 01~1'17 lateads thst both Xouses : . BonorrbleGeorge B. shopper&, pega 6 ~~11 b0 IQ n88iOQ OOMUWeQtlJ IS 8sotIoa17 of Artio~ J, vhlsh &wovldest "N0lth0rEouu shdl, without ths ooassat 0s the other, adjoarafor more than three da78, nor to 8a7 other plea* then that vhuo the la~lsla- ture u7 k l ltt1ry.* Ooavvrself,there 18s olesr Ia?eressethstaelther Boun w ooavoaevlthoutthe other under the prorIsloas0s Awlslo f, relntlug to ths Lsglslstln Dspsrtqa~~ao~s~hIs provlslosqaal:~~ b7 w suah~exprossIoals . jourar= Joti VS DWDO~. 2hs pruhIbltIoasgsIast sushw our~~atvlthot the oamnat 0s the otherXoan la uaqud lilob. m8 n&r 8suloa 0s tb0 nvtpninth tigie- lstarevss terdruted by alas die sd ornament rosolrdloa vhloh vss adoptedb7 ths Roun of Ref ena Llns 011Jw Sl, 1945, sad b7 the BeMto on June 1, 1 45. There vere no nssrvs- tloas Ia this resolutloaso s&opted,se la seea ?rsa its ~ne-m 1 This resolutIoalxhsuste or- the 7ert7-nlath Ls uatll It should bs 8s maaau dIot8t- ad by the OoastltutIoa-- 4hat is, by the ull0r the Ooveraor. It 0-t k h0ld that the mental nrrv0tlooe 0s th0 kast0rs as lxhIblt.4 b7 their sdmsquont .rwolutIom 011JUM 2, 1945, vhlsh rosolutloa~88 aot ooasurredla b7 ths llouse of Repro- 8mdi~08, t0 -0t OS a~ 8, 1916, h4 tbi .0rr~0t 0s a&flag hide and tmgetItI~ the pl~la dtilnktoe o?~the Con- stItutloa. ths po+lsloas 0s Art;010 15 0s fhr ooa8titutioa, rolatl to th0 irprO0huat povars 0s b0thbraaOh08 0s ths Ls@slaT ms aronot@mmaetothIs oglaIolr,~ lstheo~w of ?orgu8oa v. Maddox, (263 8.U. 888) iebtlap to rush pavers. f0 qwatloa 0s the OF Of th0 kgi#utUW t0 cOOWEO itSOl? ves Iavolvedla ths?-osss aad sert*lalyao qaestioa0s the ~se~s~?~ae brsash only of the Le~l@lrtwe to ooaveaeItnl? . gonorsbls Oeorgs H. shrppsrd, pge 7 Artiole 4, aeatioo 12, of the OOllStitUtiOU 0s Texas, s~~ios117 pro+ldes for the Oonraor~s mskiug sppolatmeats t0 fill rsssasles ssa r0r the ooa?lrmstioa 0s his sppolatmsat8 by the 8OMtO a8 ?OiiOVS~ %ll vassasles In 8tste f aIstrIot o??Ioes, exsept members0s the LeglslUvre, shsll be fin84 aaless othervln poritled br lav, W sppslatunt or the Oowmsr, vhloh sppdatmsat, If msds dur- lag Its nssloa, sin11 be vlth the adrlee sad ooa- SMt Of tUO-third8 O? thy ‘Ihut p?OSS& I? ISSdO rsea to fill suoh wuae~, aoml4aod to Beute aw* tb first toa a~~8 -0s it8 8088i0b I? rejeated, wld offlOe shsll Iwdi8to1rbaoau tuant. ad tha oom,roorshsll. vithout dvby# rrbr rathir wuaatioas, until l - 0osfIrmstloat&se plsse In the natjar llasd pprtbas o? the shove, lt Is uai- rest tbst M QOOtia the 8SMtO r0r the purpon 0s SOSSiOQ 0s o o ur lmla g l Ia tr a ts vu over latoaded. UhIle a sssslsa sad 8 reoess 0s i!IzIkamte me watioaad, It omaot possibly be Iu?orred that this usul r0r0r0m0 vu lateaded to rathorlse 8 upsrate ud ladepeadaat nssloa. On th mlO(Ltrary, It does sotsaptemp&te tbs 8SMt0’8 oomtlnalngio nssloa aattitb Oovsraor~r lppaiatmeats hers been ooa?lrmad. By Its terms, if there la 00 00m.mtion “during the sss8ioa 0s the 8ea8te” the Oonraor %s~ amslat ssm othar mmrsoato fill ths vsosass or ustll thfr next reru+r- obvious thst the tZ”% 1a%tT~@ aoxt nssloa 0s tha +gIslstawe aad tit tbs term “the aext wssIoa o? the knate vu und oalr beorss ths pO~i8iSS VS8 d~ditig Vith a pS?tiOU~r ?UMtiWk Of tht aO(IM. : ’ Eonorsble Oeorge R. Sheppsrd, page 8 Further, it should be noted thst In the srrsngemant of the ~onrtltutloa this provision la found la ths article relating to the Exeoutlve Dspsrtaeat, rod oertslal~, InoIdsnt8l refer- ~nces to the bgi8lStUW, or either of its HOMea, ~111 not operste to modify or lnlsrgs the speoiflc protIsIons of the preocdlng Article 3, relstlng to the LegIslstlre Depsrtment. IQ the OSU of 8lffpSOK4 v. Bill (SuprS), the Supremo Court of Okleho8s quoted vlth spprovsl frownthe holding of the Court of App8sls of #au York (Court of 188t resort in that stste) thst “the Asuably” (oarpsrsble tomour Hour0 of ~sprsseatatIve8) hs8 110oonstitutioasl entity exoept ma 8 brsnoh of the IagIslsture, se follovsr “We here shovn thst ever7 referenoe In the CoastltutIoa to ‘the Aswably f8 s de?InIte sad 8~01?10 refereaoe to it 88 one of the @houses1 .0r the Legislsturs. The CoastltutIoa dOO8aot reoogalre say latlty under the asms of *the As- sembly, ( exoept thst body vhloh exist8 88 8 oon- stltueat brsuch of the Leglslsture. Taere Is but one ASUabl~. It Is ‘the Assembly. * It Is not one orgSQ.ln la respeot to srtlole 3, (the legIs- lstive povIsIoa -- ours , sad Mother rhea re- farrod to l.n article 6, I the iapssohaeat prool- *ion -- ours), of the Coaitltutlon. ‘Ths msre fsat thst srtlolo 6 ooaferred upon the Assembly the powr of lapeschment . . . does not o rate se l mo tsmo r p h o sls of the nature of that r oay. It Is still *the Asseably’ sad nothing more. It reaslas s ooastltuent brsach of the Leg1.lsture. It Is not trsamfoxmed Into safthlng other or dl??ereat then sa Integral psrt of the Iaglslature; a bruxoh of; 01u o? Its houras~ ea- amed, if you plea se, vlth the qussl judlolsl paver of lmpe&ohment,but still sotlag Prrely vlthla the orbit vhloh the Conrtltutlon has 888igWd to it, 88 s psrt of th8 IagIslsture, end governed by the llrits- tIoas tipowe upon the bgi8lsture. ... “Ilovhere in the State Constitution Is the body which ve kaow 88 ‘the Asseablyf referred to b lw o th e rohsrsoterlrstlon thsn 88 8the AS8Smbl7. T . . . : ’ Bonormble Oaorge H. stmppua, pgm s, mowherein mrtiolo 6 of the aoaatitution (the ti- pmeobmnt prorl8lonr -- oura) vhlah aoarmrmmuoh llleged jud10lel paver, nor In other ertic1e of the ConStltutlon, IS there toTe r o w4 l uo r d or l 8llIablepermitti~ttb Woreaoo tbavhea thm Ammerbl.~acts em en ecaumlw beaT, It IS ab- rolvod fra 0brafew0 to the berutlalent iirita- tIOa8 8~3 reSt?elats of the COnmtltutlon, which lpeOlflorll~ lP4 la ale* end ammbigoou8 l8~uag8 r 0r 0r to ti a d w1 0 A88di~, 1 ...l Icrthe lb0to (kctlon 12 of lrtlak 4, the Corhmtitu- tlon olaul~ o a ntemp letoth emltp p o lmtwa are tm ~co8mu~ vhllo the Ia lletmre Is not in w8mlo~. ItpO~iCb8 iOr lQ- pointmom m r 1al.J hold- th4.r re#peotire orflems until thr nmxt.me88lotl or next lleotion, en4 there IS no tl.88 liritie- tion 8xpre8w6. It 18 eBphe*188u that uaau this po*l8loll thm lmgimleture oould djoora vlthout hnlag aonfir8ed en ep- point88 ud the Ooveraor oould laadIate1.f after lljournmmnt lppoilit “mm8 other perron’ rho uould hold oftloe %atll the twxt u 881 0& l bumhui 8ppolatee’m eat8 we 88 velld end blndlng on the 8tete before aonflrmetlon lo they ere there- efter. :Thmroregalagoou8ldered, itrumtbe oonaludedthet ea rlepuete 8ad 0pe0leluetlllgof the 8enetormIm note velid me8Oloo of the Texem Stete &lute under the prorlmlo~m -of the 0onstltatlon and every attempted 0rfi6sd rat of tha Smnetor8 thu8 amwaled I8 a aulllt7. It is not wathorlted by Artlale 4, 8eatioa 121 it ocatravewm ktl0l.e 3, Seatlon 51 end It 18 repugaeat to Article 3, &otloam 17 aad 40, aad &tlc& 5, Ikation 8, end there ue other propomitioar sup- porti- lwh 8 aonclwlon. m •~L~~~;~~~ Eta. Zhamtm to ooavetim itselfaould bob pouermOS the Sxeautive Department- in tlolatloa oi Artlo& 2, aect10o 1. Xven if a 81~ die ad ourameat rfbe qumllflmd (rhiah IS boubtiul), It k oertalRiJ aat pommible for oak one Eoam~to quallry It lrter ,lt 18 pemmedby both of them. FiiiWar, It Is aootrary to the pmctloe aad eaqulemceac8 of the hgiml&are fa r llwmt onmhundred mrrn* It la tha oplnlon of this oifiae, thenfore, that (1) the ComptrollerIs required to lmmuea rurwtto pY tlm ATTo- GEm-tAL 03 ms _ - .___.-_-. .-‘-a -, .~ -. ._.__ _-.,.. .- ,.,._. _ ,-___ ,_I__. _._..... -- .._- -, . ...--. - -~.-. _..I. I__ .-