Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

. . OffICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF,TEXAG AUSTIN . non. C. R. T'eminf$oa, Pn~o a Tha reooa33 of the .Soo:*ctflry of 3taters opcice re- vet21thet 12. X. J. CroPoct was Zcosidezt of t?.o Gulf COaat y;sterCoqxiny, a C~m23:Io o~rp~ration, on &wot 6, 133s. Act3 1834, 4Srd Le&slatui*ej 4.thCalled je3dIon, inSO 19; Ch. 7, C?.O6tin$ tho LO%XZ? Colorn.doRiver Authority, rcrds, In port, a3 follo::3: qJrovidsd that no pcraon shall be eligible for 1:'he h33, 3ucl-1 a~pOIhti~IOn% during t219 p-cccd- 135 t?.qe (3) bcforo hi3 npgointmsnt bocn ycnr3 enploy$ by'an oltctric ~oxcr end lir,htcoqmy, gc3 coqmy , tclcp>onc coiqany, or any other util- lty oorqmy af Eriykind Or ch&roCtcr xhat3oevor.* (Underscoring 01.~3) Sinoo the facts .shOi'ltht Yr. X. J. Crofoot ~133 the i‘residontof the hCrqtO:'OXoncztioned cOrFO?ationj ;ivr- ' Inx;tl:opccediny t&xo (3) year 3 before his op;oi,asc:e,:crrt to the Board of Dirootom Of thic, LOX;er COlWQdO River Authority, the dcteminiq ~c3tIon xould GOCSI t0 kc!w!lctk~r or nOt ho \mmdo:ploycd by the 3sj.doorporations -&thin the zzeaninx02 the hoo~e .o_ucteCrart of the Aot creatind the Laxer coloro~0 River J,uthorIity . - %%a &a ~~e~~~loyod*t ha3 mmy zssniqo. N It 93~ nean any person who rczder:r2 labor .or scrvico to Another. wl’latson v. XQ. cc., 50 ft could Inclu~~cevery ,,;e- 3?. 1.1. a. ma. JO.?in ~~$Yl$ij ..pyi* u . \r~'e.6-r. &-~~~df&ti-~;l-%it?i6rit rO;?;zrdto-hi3 &rGdq Or rank, or the nature of kio dutir3. Ia're Stryi:er ot (11,63 N. x. 525. As us04 in Its broadest 3eU30’, the SJord %n~loyedq8 denotes every person who I3 in the ,sorvioo or a oorgooratlon. 32 L.2.A. Q7 Zt pa&e 113, The word "ez- ploy&* denotc3 028 *.&o,rim~era Oervice. Sot 'h%h3tcr~~sm. f~tcrnatiO361 3Ictiomry, 3OCO:ld ZditIO!l. yieiuote frc.2hbbdtt V. L:o::'i~, 77 I<.'.?!. 94, C3.fOl" loxs : n anyone e:i~lcycJby R corporation in arq ..a cnpocitjjmay parhara be consi?mrcd as ezplojjecof the co7pcrntion (aA if frm the context such as: pccrdl to bc tte mxnin~,.thc officera of' the cor- Foratior,ni,:hSbe irrtondecl by tba tcr::urdar 8om cirom~tacccs) .,.** The question ie: -Vhat is the sense in ~ihichL,he word ~ezployc~I*~ 13 123~4in tho above c,uotodpzrt.of the Xct crentiq t,k.eLo::er ColornCo River hutbority? Ceriafcly this is to be de:crsL!:eC!fro:1t:leocntst, end the apynrent 6b$jcct aau pxpoi;a of tllo pcvi3lcr.. It cann.otbe said t!z:stt& presideat ci a ccqcr- aticn is not in the SSFS~.CCof the carporction. IS ho not .tho qcnt of t:ic corgoretion :vit?in t>a scope cii~oxu-a dele- &at& to hi!!by the bonrd of directors7 Soes he.20: enforce &m¶ defend the various rlzhts of thu cor~croticn7 IS he not promoting the intsrcst;:of the ccr;croti.ozz % believe that tImso r,ucsticr~sma only be 4rmfcrsd in the rftiratetivo. Ih6.Lq$.slaturc plainly ir.&icctteCt?,ot til persons oxpl.oyc0by 8 utility cozpcny->fit%.nt?ree j'ofir3 prccedin~ the Cute of s~;ointmnt 3hculC not be eliqiblc for aaid a;- ~i&-tm3Iit, X3 there imy eoui%Iaridlogical remon for saying that the cf?icsrs of e nti'litycoqmy We not esglcye~ by. that ccr;oratico within tho :xzninrjof the.Aot? ';;c thiak not. WQ cc?zn,ot believe that tho Legislature inteabe:lthat such a oonatruoticn ehould be~plrtced-02 th&~~Ier@,c~c-_r_o mm- tioned oocticn of the .ct,~ ~T'c~thecotitrnYy,it would op~car .thot them 13 a far fpeator ret2300 for saying t!latt:?eoffi- ccz'sof a utility company are incli:~iblcthan t&?re ia for sayid;;that only tho subordinzte eqloyoos, aa:aely,the ol-arks, ;;a.mcsg and.evcn the janitor, are~Inell&bla. The pctcsibi- A r,isonief and evil arising out of tineappoiritrtmtof's subordinate e~;?lcyecof a utility-coqmy i.3for lez~sccqcr- od to that of appointins anofficer 0: h utility con~my vfho, no Cou%, is a stookhclder axI who would be is a positfon to pCrsO?.nllybenefit fro;rthe nppolzt?xz& to t2.cIJmra Of Dircotcrs of thc.l.oacrCclcrnclcFlivi:r Authority. 845 -&3 concl.\;Ee es",yox are 30 i?&i.x5 l&it ty:c &pl:GiF:- ted of 3. ‘II. J. *ofcot to the Bx.rt.of ‘iiractr?rs~3 tkc t,owr Cclornio River ,Witority 13 I n Siroct violetlo~~oi” t30 kcrcinzbG?c xontiorrod 3ecticn of tileAct croatiq tf;eLGm?r I;:r..Crol"oot ColornGc Bivcr hct:tSlcrit;y. I:,t%rafcre inali- gibl6 fcr t!:cRp;oinkent *WJth Bo&d cf 3ircctora,cl the I,o~ver Colorado IIivcrAut?rority.. Yo*ws very tru>J