OFFICE OF THE A?TORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Bonorable Martelle NoDonald
Dlatrlot Attorney
Big Spring, Texar
Dear Pit: OplnlQn MO. 04l62
Rer I%mnsti
your rmquost as follw~~r
eountloa in t&l8 Rta8e
Qourt ln euoh oountiea im hereby au8horltmd to
allow qaah Cosmlasbmr and County Tudgr the Itam
.0r Fifty Dollar6 ($50) par month ror traveling
e~pmmas when bravelfng in the disoharge of h-i@
oftlolsl dutlea."
IfanorablekduxtslleLloDonala,Pam 2
Mwtln County, aocrordlagto the laet prsoodlng
pe&rel OeMU8 of 1940 has 5,556 Inhabltantm,an4 la the
as~lyoaunty in Texa8 ooalng~withln the populattin brwsbta
0r not la88 than 5,500 sna not mm than 5,575 inhabitan$a.
Croakett County, aosor4lng to the la88 preceding
tederel oennue of 1940 has 2,8W fnhabitento, and is t&e
only county~in Teaes oomfng rrltblnthe population tgaoket8
or not 1088 then 2,ga5 srd not mcrrethan 2,900 inhabitants.
The que8tioa erleos aa to whether or not thla 18
a loo91 or ape0101 acrt~
sttwkptlng to regulate ,tba affair8
il3ViOlOtiOu Of &tiOlb
Of OOlJZltieS 3, 3eOtiOn 56 O? th8
Conrtltu8lon at Taxas.
.Ghbr Justloe Nealon, wr1tlrI the opinion af the
Couxe of Civil Appeal* in the oeee of,$ :oml v8. k?8rfsBdo-
pendea8 Roheol Dlstriot, 123 f;.FT. (2) 4251had the iollaw-
lng to my:
"I&Jteke judi$lal atit%aethat m other eoun~y
la Texa8 har.tho qu8lliloatlonr or area an4 popu-
lation 4ema4e4 by the mtetute. . . IO 18 8urtL .
olant to nay here thet when we &boltto the prrdti-
gal operation of the aot, we are lad to the o~nalu-
don that baron& 4oub$ it ww the purpose of tbo
hgLdatur* to ~&II& out PreDl4fO County an4 m9ka
the lot applloablo to that alo!M. BeXW
county t. Tyuan, lZ# ?oz. 223 6. W. 28 467.
Yor that reamin the aot 18 set an4 om
~Jslab itiwoe bsyuu.4pcwar ot the lagimlaturs to
.lUNt. Vernon'8 Ann. Clri St. Per88 0on8~itutianr
m. 3, 8~0. 56; Brwnfiol.6t. Tongrte, Tar. Cit.
109 E. 1c.2& 352; City Of Ft. Worth v. Bob-
%? 2.x Con. App., 36 8. W. 26 4703 Wltter Y.
E.at; lb: Clr. App., 65 6, if. 24 434f Auatiu Bm38.
V. Patton, Ter. Corn.. kpp., 268 3. Y!. 182; mlth 'P.
t!tata,120 Tax. Cr. R. 431, 49 2. 8'. 24 739."
Phi8 department hd4 in opinion Ro. O-16 that Arti-
olea 2372-l and 522lb-23, TcsviredC%Tkl f%atutea Of %X88,
1925, the formar being .applioabh W oountie8 having a POpu-
lagion op not le8a than 48,900 an4 n* m*m than 491000, an4
the latter applyi- to oountIe8 with a population Of DO* l*a*
aan 48,900, ma not more than ~3,975, en4 oountibr with a
Honerabls &dartellsLloDonald,gags 3
popuhtion or not lea8 than 10,370 ana not &0r8 than 10,380,
acooralng to the loot pmotrdlng E'8dsraloonau8, wore ~IIOOB-
6ti~utionel end void 80 apocial lern under Footion 56, A&l..
018 3 ot the '?tote Constitution, oitlng the oe8e of the City
oi Fort ':orthve. Sobbitt, 36 '. ':'. 26 470.
This depertmmt held In ODiniOn Xo. 0499 that
ROUS8 Bill 866 Or ch8 66th L8gfSJlUttUO Or TOJB(I,pTOViahg
r0r tr8veling 8xpen888 or souaty c0~~4i08~0~r6 or 06imi88
bring a populstlon ot~mt 1888 than 22,100 aad not PCW than
22,500, aooordlng to the last Oreceding H8d8ral 08118~. wa8
unoonetitutloml in that lt was a looal end 8pooial law at-
tmptlng to.rogulats ths arfalr8 Or tho OOUU~Y, end r811 wlth-
In the prohibition or rootion 56 of &Mole 3 or the coasti-
tu6f66 Of TeX8d.
Thi8 department held in opinion lo. o-1984 that
Rourra Bill 876, 16th Legislature and House Bill 1122, 45th
Lqgi6l8tur8, wore unao~tlbutlonal 8aa v0fa in that the 8am
vmre looal and TWAIN law8 stt8mptlng to rogulrta the et-
faIra of a county rnd fell dthia the p~hlblti~ or !%otlou
56 or Artids 3 or th8 Oonatitutiion or thi8 State. Thora
Bill8 applied ouly to ttontgomory County, Terns.
Thin aspmtmont ho8 held a large mxber at 8imllar
on the (proud8 rbw8 8tma.
aat6 to b8 unooll8tltatloll8l
iY@b~~ MOlOE~g bCIZ8With 06pia8 Of opitiO68 x06. 0?19%5 66d
.
Th8rMor8, you aro reopeotiull~ advired that it
i8 the opinion OS this departwmt th6t Bow6 Bill 7U of the
47th LOgi8li!&ul’8 Of ‘for06 f8 UIiOOm3titUtiOU8~ 66 ViOlatiVO
or motion 56 of ~rtiolo 3 of tha Coxmtltubian ot Toxar ia
Ohst 66id AOt 6tt8UiDtl.l t0 r6gUlOtO th8 Off8ir8 Oi 6WUti.S
by loos1 and sp~olal hW.