._.
ssa
OFFICE OF.THE A-ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Uoriorable24.01 Flawem
saorataryof State
Bustin, Texss .,
Dear hfr.lf?.WQI’S,
,
4.,&&ion 14 of tha Con&t-
tall.wli retqw3a to the
Gioverxior
with his,object-
s, (..%sll&ays em9ptcd), art&r
it g&~.+.um%een presented to him vbila the
i ’ legislatorsf5 in session, becomes a lawr
5 Wers ti bill is filed a-it&the Secretary Op
9tat.etier 8iicholrausiBbn0a8(tiat is, Con-
stituticn,krtiole 4, Ss@im 14) ad the bill
contains an emargonc;rclauas a proved by the
r!3y,izCri?3
2/s -rateaooa tha 'oil
f beam?8 OffoOt-
3.~0,(a) on the date it 1s Piled in~ths of?pice
of the Liaoretaryof St&a) or (b) on the expirs-
tion of 10 days (Sun&ays excepted)after the
X. 0. Flowers - page 2
lionorabla
bill is presented to the Wvernor?
*As an cxanple, please 888 volume 1 of
tho Act& of tlie46th Legislaturepage QQ
where Chapter t3,11.5. 604 contains au emer-
goncy clause and carries un page 102 t&e f’ol-
1owlng lnfomation:
*Filed witheut the C0vernors*
signature,ILay3, 1931. Effective
ImY 9, 1931.'
*BrSefZy, how was it determined that this
net beoam9 effootive hay 0, 1930 und0r tho oir-
rumstanoee?*
That portion of Section 14, Article IV, of the
Constitutionpertinert to your inquiry is as followsg
'If any bill oball not be returned by
the GoveHUm with-hi5 objection&i within
ten days (Sunday5 OxCepted) after it shall
have been presented to him, the sam 5h5ll
be a law in lihe manner a5 if be had sign-
ud it, unSess the Legislatum, by its aif-
jourmeet, prevent Its return, in which
case it 5hallbe a Saw, unZese he ahall
file the eme vith his objections,In the
, offloe of the 3acretary of State and p;Lve
notice thereof by pYbli0 pFoclamationwith-
in twenty days aftar suoh adjournment,5
In th0 nnttor 0f esorcising the veto power, the
Oovernor is excroisinga legislativefunction, and not an
otecativo~funotion. Fulmora Y. Lane, MO S. \i'. 405, loR2.
From this it follows the approval of the Governor, or his
failure to disapprove in the manner prorLrh& by the Con-
stitutlon-- hia official action -- is an e55ential part
of the lsL;islct~vefunction to enact a law.
Section 39, hrtlclo III, of tllaConstitutionds-
c1arcet
"No lau lassed by the Lqislature,
cxcoittthe general approlfiiation
Aot,
aonorablaL;.0. Flowers - page 3
ihan Annl
;rjrgency acltwet hais the approval
or ihlltioverncr,or t&w3 must be shown the Cailure of
tLl2L-;;VertOrto r.?turntr.
,e same within the t&me required
$3;th Constitutionwith hfe objectlonethereto before
t113 snm3 becom0s effootivs aa finichd legi.&?latfon.
Xlon an enorgancy sot has boon ayprovod by the
;overnor,or VilCll ho h&8 net aoted fn Guch a :rrJxlth
rOSi9CtGO t,habill in hio ban&~ a~ tC ;trOVT!Et it6 ‘&COTS-
in,;effective,the 0merSonoy wt does become e?footive,
$ut of course its eff,xt*vo date is k?rornand after fts
~XLssafip
. $g &vz sef?n ",ilxr;
2 wrt r2 the essential pas-
xi;;0of an net in the action of the tiwmnor fn the way
proscribedby the Constituticn.
In the case you put f.tfolloae from uhat wo have
k&ii that tkc es2rge~nc.yact becow effeative on the expira- )
tiou of ten ctc;l's
(Sunt%y& exct?Ftec?)
after the bill had been
prrescctadto the tiovorncr.
I
mrth2r tc your midemil
rcIJlyPnl; Inquiry as
to *how it cus c:ctormine&that thio Act (mZ, 6, II. Be BoBI
Bcte 46th Log. reg. ser-s.);t.cca;;lo
cffectlve bay 9, 1939,
.Wnlcrthe clrcumstencns,~wd cannot unswor, exoept upon
tIiafam,Lliarruleof presl,uhptfon of oPfJ.cialrsgularity.
3. is,Bo. 8oQ yas pws& by the I:nueeApril 13, $939, by
f vote of 119 yeas, no naya: by tR3 Senate April 24, 1930,
Sy a vote of 29 yeas, no nays. It bears the ondoroement
e * Pileii~
without the tiovernor*aaiqnature bay 3, 1939, effeot-
5 Lv3 my 9, 103s. The r&ateupon abiob the bill wae present-
3cIto the liovernori.6not s&own. Lresu.m‘,tl.aely, the ten
iays (c~clucling Sundays) nllo~eci.
by the oovernor under the
Constitutionto Ilo& and cnnsiaor the ex@rc%i on
ti2?.CUPC,
by E, 1930, in which wont tbc act would become ePfoctivs
aC;rOEI
ard.after its paseap,ev,
vbich would buve been Jlny
9, 1939.
'5 ,_
vary truly yours
Ocio Speer
Assistnnt
J