Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE AITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Q-C.YU(I( A-o- , P! Cawdttee appobted Dy oxrs,amlalfJo~Dill suppliel for sala cax5tttee, oin is dravn agal.rlstn deflcionay 6hO amme of $2*OQ0.00 iwant- court Dy the Omurnor as a suppleilrsnt to the spprop%ation mmtod by the Regular 80sdom of the Fortydtb Lo~ul~tOre, fowxl at gage 4bd, Aoto of tho Re@lor Sosdoo of the Fortpuixth Leglslaturo, aad dodgnatod 0s itun la. The agproprtAtionoarriw, La fads dopwtzrent, appropriation nud.mr A-Bi Vou will notMe that this clain aurioa &De apporal of Xionortilo dobn iI. shptp, dsm- l&a, ObOm Ee SDeppmd - Ago 3 oiate Jwtioe of tD0 3upmzn Court, anC tho ap prwol of Uooornblo Btcbar~?Crftz, rtenoaiote Justloe of tho 3~~000 Court. TDo clain op pears to bb roglllarLo wary rofipoct,except it do06 not carry the apprwn1 cf the ctato BOerd Of CG?ltt'Ol iOr WCh ~Chr;CaS. "I rrls0oa11 your sttentioa to tho &lar to the sp~opriation Dill, fonar;on me 408, wDnoation D, under Beotion 4 of tha above dWOrlb~ed Lot, WhhD reads I {All pinting pnd stntionr~~ uhall Do purahnsed through t.hoxoard of Control and ahall be ooonfiwd to such aFti- ales ard quality au selobtbd mxl contraato& for Dy the Board of Control.' Whlmrlqmrt~td~emy~opl~onu to ulIother 910 are mltlloriwd to iemle aarraat in paymbatof t‘hlmslaila+ithoutitanrrfing thu appwal of chf3iiicard of Coaatrol.m Your roquuest rxosonta 0 quo3flon of first h- pomioa in thie dqmWmnf SO &w aa our investigation has disolosod, uml one of no littlo im~artrmcs. Qe hwo ewerol tism witton oplnlons upoa the relative pwors of the sosud of Ccntrol 3nd Other d3- pnrtwnts anriinstitutionaof t?loState, alth respect to purchasing suppll3s, oquipmnt , and the like, but no ewe, wo boliero, haa bean prorentod wltich oallod for [UI opin- ion with rss?emt to tho l'elativo rf@ta of tbo Sup'eme Court nncitbo uoarclof Controlin respect to web mattars. Section 21 of Artl.cl3 WI cf th3 Constitution Is OS fo110nsr gAl1 stationery, and printing, oxoapt proall?Jl?.e9iansand such @.nting 39 my to dono at the &MU aal hrab A6Jluz1, ppm, amI tuc31 used in the frs,giislatiroaud other depnrtmats of tha gomrnoont, except t&o JudiCiSl De~nwmt, ahall b0 Curnisb3d, rind the pintin% aad binding of the lap's, jour- Ilale, and dupnrtmnt roporta, and 911 other printing and binding ati the repairing and furniohisag tho hzlle an& row used Car the aostings OS thn Legidature nnd its cop- .. xoae uao. x. Sheppard - pago 3 zdtteos,shall De partorrad urnor oonfrrbt, to be &on t0 the lowe8t rwponoible Did- dar, Delm euchmuimm p-toe, and under such X%gUlatiOIIs, as oholl'be prosoribedby .la8. HO lmmbur or otiica of uly depart- moatof the gmornaemtobrrll be in any m imtarostefi in such contrasts;tunlall suah ooatraots t3hallbe subjoat to the apprwal ~mpw~yornor, Merotary of State old Camp ODvlously, statutes upon the subjeot.oS put chases * the Eupreme Court have no oontrolliag aftaot, U&tgy ure in riolatlom of aq ooa6titutional pthi- . xhe almy o#nloam we luY0 mtton upon the uuDjeat or tho relative rights of the Ward of Co&r01 and other departmmt43 ahd inatitutione of the State - motabl7 Opanion Ho. O-880 nod OpLaion No. 01;?813,have oon8trwd otatutom vhiah were not la naywise contriwy to any oomstAtlltiomalprovioiom. Uo, thoroforo,look to a00 if Section 31 of the Constitution above quoted applioe to thin ease. On the uhol.:,,the Soctlon duals pith tho broil subjodt oP fUrniabl&~~stationory, Finting, -per and fuel uwd in the legislotivo and othor dspartmonfs of tho Govoru- vmat, oxOept the judioial'(1~partmOnt, ati requires tho plr- chmving of such things from tho lwoet rooponeible bidder. w0 t!ainkthis pTl6ion is self-onaotirqam& meodn mo om- abliug statute, save only perhaps, in regard to miuimm lxloor;Qmlt?r suoh roylationa OS shall bo ~nMsariE8d by law.' This eeotioa 0xgmssll oxoopts from itu opera- tiom, hovevor,*the judicial dopartPent*. Slaao the seo- tion deals with tha broad eubjeot of PchasOm them nati, and alnoo it epe~ifi~ally tmmpte tbOrOfmu tho judicial dopartmnt, 80 construe it as Conf'Orring upon the judioial do pclrhaat -- by impliaation but nevsrtheloes affirmtivo-. 1Y - the pousr to u&o such purahasoe as are m&raced ir~thiu the sootion of its own vill, and rithout rtioronao to competitive bi&Ung, or notion by nny other departmnt, whothor leglelotiva or other. From this it follows that the apprwal. by the noa. UOO*Ii. shoppard - Pqgs 4 6U&PePe t%Wt Of pu‘OhW48 inad OJ it, OP ll&%erit8 authority, for ~80 of the S7apamo Court in atw of itv Arnctionsor rativitloe,iv ~12.t&at is roquirod to authorbe you to issue a VU%mt for payment Out 0P any ;lubUo f+unfl aYailebloPor such pupee. 8hottm.r a fund ie attil.3blo for auab pur- pws, hova7er. dependa upon vhethec a? not there has btoa 0 lOgi6llrti7iJ a~OpF%QtiOn Of ¶i0#10V iOr v~Uh The superior right of the Supreua Court to Et2z:kaotcl) eucil98 ue a-3 here dlecusoing,dow not wary vlth it the Surther rl@t to deemnd or z-e- ceae payuant to 007er euoh 0ontraot or prchasb8, whom the Lo&ialimreh~ootvMe a spvciflo nppnr piation theroior . The Colaet.%tution,Article VSXI, seotioa 6, deolareac 'no money shall be drawn from the troesurybut ia pureuanoe of ep3c:flo lrpd0b ;r 1eV) l l av ep&WOpri8tiOIlr, nom 13 of tha appropriation for the Suprvmo court, 08 ooatdncd in u. 1). no. 387, ysrsmd by the lest l,egisl;ltura (Spoinl Lavs Tams, Vol. 2, p. &a) is as r011ovs: @For erpansoa to bo inhurred For the poaro isndhg by fills SuprCM QNlrt in m-t 31, Awiust 31, putting into offact the 1040 1941 nulrt-nakingFov0r Aot, ~0~643 bill ~0. r~s, n9gu- lap session, Party-sixth LogielcAturs, incl~~ all expenses that aby be inourrad by fhe Suprome Court in appointingoe r;ittooe,paying the ex- pens08 of aucb oomdtt0Os~ postage, pioting, etono- graphic aamioea, andany and all othsr 3Xp3MssS in- eluding meoorol~, oe nay be d&wnAnod by the SuvJ- court) proCdad that iC the supram court shall appoint 49 non. 080. ii. Ghoppard - page 5 auy ccmlttes oi attomn3ys to aseistit in dravlng auoh rules, tho Court my pay the uml3l orp3nsse of such comlttee, or axg mm- her thoroot, vhll:, amy frmhcm,but ohall xiot pay tuq momb8r O? such uom- xltte3, may salary or cop p~ation eor his ~3171068 @,500.00 $2,600.00" The rldw to .ihe Ap-$wpriatlon Bill (H. B. lo, 257) quot8d by you to tho 3es06t Dall pr.lnt%ng end otatioa- cry &all b8 grchnmd through th Eonrd of Control, and shall be wufined to ouch articles and quality 0s aaloot ed aad oontraathifor by the Board of Control,* is not mndatury, but on the contrary is directory only. In other words, the word nshalla is to be oonetrued as 'CXL~. This oonstruotion ot the rider is permlseiblounder voll- estzxblished rules of etatutory aonstructlan. Litsr3liem vtll be i~W&i shen to Solloo it vi11 do oiolenoe to tbo .pla.ixLxtention of the LoglsJature. To ?dve the rider tha ottaot followk~g a litem construction of the rldor, vould neeesaarily haye one of two offcctr, that is, the rider itself ;rouldho stricken out as being repugnant, to jhe otwious intent to anti a -ralid appropriation, or it would fall for constitutional invalidity ae 501~: in vlo- lntlon of Oection 21, Articls ULI, above quoted. To construe tbo rider ae boinc, r:iroctory ia a reoooneble construction and PmddJrs tL:, ome a valid ifio- vieion. To exmpt the judicial de:mtzcnt fsm the con- 8titut;ional roquiramnt of oontract for 9rintinF: and etotfonory, aa p,Qvided in.liect,icn2l'oi" &ticle X71, doee not wecooout tho eowts fron: voluntarily -hasing their prIntin!; and stationery throuxh the hoard cf Con- trol. ~ndoec;, it la our informtion tbnt the Suprem Court itself in mmy lnatancea ) nti pcrhnps East instances, &OeB Dlakt3its purcl3nsos thr0uq.h the Board of Control for conqeaienoe sata, and a8 e.mtter of possible ooonorj. The rider should be conotruti as authorizing tho Board of Control to xako such purchases and contract nlion and ii the courte 80 request or op30. 'Lho sp30ieicappro7i9ntlon for the eiaaal year 0-w .-gust 31, 1040, bne beun oxb:watcd, md, 3s you non. 000. tl. Sheppard - pga 6 state, tho Govarnor has approved a daftcicncy claim upon tho application ot tho Supmaw Court In the cum or Q2000.00, 77hhh 0~0 was OX~~OSE~Y for uso during thttt riecoi pm. There ie therefore no available fund for the payment of thim claim, and vi11 not be until the Legisloturo has made an appropriation to m8ot the Gwernor~s deflciono~ ollwanoe. So that, in anjr wont, tha most that OM nor be done 18 to issue the ueual aab ordinnry dofioioncy vu-rant, payable only when and ii tho Loglsloture heroafter makea an appro- pLation thereor. Vary truly yours ATTORXZX GSH3ML OF TEX#I w %& Aesista