Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN i!onOriibla Ga02@ H. Sheppard Comptroller of Sublie Aocotmts Aulrtln, Taxa Dear Sir: Your rrqusat ice 0 a8 baan conaldsred .~ oarefully by this dspartmqit tionr with r4r4r- 41100 to the Ccmrtltutionel ALL nd bg Sonats Joint opted by eloatlon @ado aa iollowa: ah or aomponontpert For44 R484rv4, or rvior or th4 Dnit4a j ane yosr efter the oloss of tha rcalandar mar / in which said wer is termlnat4d. knarabls George H. .;,heppsrd, “Movldod, ha*cntr , that the forrgotie: provl- slone of this ssotlon do not oonf er the rl&ht to vote u m sny qrson wno .ls 4 mpmber of the regular aetsbl x shment of the ?blfra states f~rmf, ~-invy, or %irins Corps ; end provided further, tbst ~11 persons lo the armed iorass oi thb tbitod Ststes, or the OOCI- ponsnt branched thsrsof not members of th4 regular establishment OS the dtad Stetee Army Rnvy Zarlne Corps, are horebg dealsred not tg be dh? pu4llflad from voting by reason of any provlaion of sub-seotlon ‘Flit&* of Section 1, of this Axtlole.” (Enphsala ours) ~- Tour f lv st gusstlan lat “1. I4 this aaandment in dfaot now, or ir It moemarl for the Lsglrlatursto prss en -On- abUng Aot5’* Artlolr XVII, Saotlan 1 of the Conatltubion, with r4qmOt to UN! mode 4f amondlng th4 UanstltutiOn, pravld44 that: -. . . It 6ha3.l be tbr duCy Of the 64VQra). returning offlo4rs of 8ald rloatlaa, to open 8 poll for, nnd m&4 roturns to thr Soorrtary ot staa, of the number of lo@1 tot48 oart at aa 4b0tm rm and againat 6aia Om4~dmat t and ii mere thou one be proparra, then th4 numbcx of votes oast for rind, against la4h o? tbam; snd if lt shall appear fran sald return, that a maJorltJ or ths vat48 cast hats bern oast ln favor of nay amandmnt, the said 4m4ndment 40 norlving a majority af the votes cast shall beooar a part af the Gnnetltutlon, and proolsmstlon shell be mds by the Govarnor therco?.* Tbfs emendslent booam a part a? the Constitution upon the asoertslnment that it ha,d raoelved a majortty of th4 vottisaaaet fit tha olaoti05. ‘::ilaon v. State 15 Tvsr. Ct. kpp. Sep. 150; Tarss ‘iater t asa CO. V. City o? &burns, 21 E. ‘7’. 393. :,Iothing is now required of the LeglslOtUre to et- feotuat.4 the dlotates of this amendment. It 18 not a more daalaratlon of polloy expressed ln broad tdras, but is au sot oaqlata in rind Of Ltrs4lf. Ytatctd 4riOthaP WWS tM.s amanbnt is selr-enaotfng. %ur aaoc%?n,d curscion it38 "2. IS t!As amndmcnt IS ins afieot, should the Tax IBS~BSOI!sod Collaotor upOn rsqurat iasur e tarn- Forary 4Zo3ptian.7" ‘Ci?;Lsquestian mat b* anaworut in th4 n4&atlvo. The atatuhs rslsting tie the leauan44 oi lxauptioa Orrtifiioatoa (irl;loloa 2968 errd m68a, R. 8. 1925) apply only to Umao~por- SMS who are oxeapt bf Ir* from chr lrq!?#& ar w;;Ed thlr asendarnt dooa not 4xOzqt a3pt4 ?4m MO poll tsr I4vlsd by ot&r sootion or the Conat& u on and by th4 atatutea ln4ated im.ptuauano4 thoro&. 'Dir amudmnt grovldoa aaly thst the to I?+39a poll tex a? to al&t h4v4 bean 4a444a4 $0 thslx rldlt? to vote naurd poraona dll have the rlgkt to vat 4 togaral~aa of whether or not th8y km paid a poll tax 4a4 rh88h4r 4r 3Ot th4t hold a r404lpt fo the parmnt of w poll tu whlah lma boon aaa4884a qalnat tihcm. ah 0th 3i02a8, this maitt48t oxrapt nuoh gerrcm8 ircm the p~o~iaion8 of 34Otloa 2 Ot fit1014 VI ai tha Cmatltiutlan @alah raqulro “that 411y vatrrwha 14 aubj46t to p4y 4 pell tax rmaor the laws of tbr Stot4 as Tata ahall h4vo paid aald tax bafara oif4rln$ to v4t4 ab an daotlm in thlr Stats and h4liI4 r84algC aIlo dng that said poll tax ms paid barer8 the first day of February next premding such 4186tldo*, end rma t&r pr~vlalcma of .&tialo fO& R. 8. 19ZSr that *Xo aitlaan ahall be pmmltttd to vota, ualraa he, first prsleanta to the dud@ of 414ation his poll tax reoclpt or oertlfloats of u4r?rptloa iwudl to hipl befcsc tbe iin~t d4j of F&z%mxy of the fear In whi4h ho ofP4rs to rots, ex84pt as othexwl6e p8r- rAtted in thl4 title, ~1444 the am4 haa bwn last or mialald, or loit at horn, in orhloh 4v4nt h4 ahall wake sn affiaavit of th0t iact . . .* ~~ Yoara vary truly ATTOt?lfXYGEhW?ALOF 'l'ZUi2 { i COMMITTEIS AL%:ddt St6nidarAt