MICHAEL MCCARTY, PERRY GALLOWAY, MATT SMITH, GREG HART, ROSS BELL, AND BECTON BELL v. ARKANSAS STATE PLANT BOARD AND TERRY WALKER, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS DIRECTOR OF THE ARKANSAS STATE PLANT BOARD
No. CV-20-164
SUPREME COURT OF ARKANSAS
May 6, 2021
2021 Ark. 105
BARBARA W. WEBB, Justice
APPEAL FROM THE PULASKI COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT [60CV-17-6539], HONORABLE TIMOTHY DAVIS FOX, JUDGE
The Pulaski County Circuit Court found
I. Background
In 2017, McCarty filed a complaint and an amended complaint for declaratory judgment, injunctive relief, and judicial review of administrative actions, generally challenging the ASPB‘s April 15, 2018, dicamba cutoff rule and the denial of a petition for rulemaking submitted by the appellants. McCarty also sought a declaration that Arkansas Code Annotated section
The ASPB appealed the circuit court‘s ruling that the challenged rule was “void ab initio” and “null and void” as to McCarty. McCarty cross-appealed the dismissal of their complaint and allegations of constitutional violations. We dismissed the ASPB‘s appeal as moot and found McCarty‘s cross-appeal partially moot. Ark. State Plant Bd. v. McCarty, 2019 Ark. 214, 576 S.W.3d 473. We held that McCarty‘s claim that
II. Standard of Review
This court reviews issues of statutory construction under a de novo standard. Bullock‘s Kentucky Fried Chicken, Inc. v. City of Bryant, 2019 Ark. 249, 582 S.W.3d 8. In considering any constitutional challenge to a statute, this court “begins with the axiom that every act carries a strong presumption of constitutionality.” Ark. Dep‘t of Corr. v. Bailey, 368 Ark. 518, 523, 247 S.W.3d 851, 855 (2007). This presumption places the burden of proof squarely on the party challenging a statute to prove its unconstitutionality, and this court resolves “all doubts” in favor of upholding the constitutionality of the statute, if possible. Id.; City of Cave Springs v. City of Rogers, 343 Ark. 652, 658-59, 37 S.W.3d 607, 611 (2001). This Court will only strike down a statute when there is a “clear and unmistakable” conflict between the statute and the constitution. Bailey, 368 Ark. at 523-24, 247 S.W.3d at 855.
III. Constitutional Challenge
Within our state constitution is a specific separation-of-powers provision, providing:
§ 1. The powers of the government of the State of Arkansas shall be divided into three distinct departments, each of them to be confided to a separate body of magistracy, to-wit: Those which are legislative, to one, those which are executive, to another, and those which are judicial, to another.
§ 2. No person or collection of persons, being of one of these departments, shall exercise any power belonging to either of the others, except in the instances hereinafter expressly directed or permitted.
Hobbs v. Jones, 2012 Ark. 293, at 8, 412 S.W.3d 844, 850 (citing
The doctrine prohibiting delegation of legislative power has long been recognized in Arkansas. Leathers v. Gulf Rice Ark., Inc., 338 Ark. 425, 429, 994 S.W.2d 481, 483 (1999). In determining whether an unconstitutional delegation has been made, we consider whether the legislature “has attempted to abdicate, or to transfer to others, the essential legislative functions with which it is vested by the Constitution,” noting that “legislation must often be adapted to conditions involving details with which it is impracticable for the legislature to deal directly.” Id., 994 S.W.2d at 483 (citing Currin v. Wallace, 306 U.S. 1, 15 (1939)).
The power conferred upon the majority is, in effect, the power to regulate the affairs of an unwilling minority. Leathers, 338 Ark. at 430, 994 S.W.2d at 484 (citing Carter v. Carter Coal Co., 298 U.S. 238 (1936)). We have held that in Arkansas, legislative powers cannot be delegated, even to other branches of state government, except within “certain limits.” Id.
Similar cases from other states have held that private entities may not appoint members to a governmental board without offending the constitution as it is an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power to a nongovernmental entity. Delay v. Sutton, 818 S.E.2d 659, 661-62 (Ga. 2018) (citing Rogers v. Medical Ass‘n of Ga., 259 S.E.2d 85, 87 (Ga. 1979) (it is an unconstitutional delegation of legislative appointment power when private industry has the exclusive right to nominate board members because it places power in private organizations that are not accountable to the people as required by the constitution)); Gamel v. Veterans Memorial Auditorium Comm‘n, 272 N.W.2d 472, 476 (Iowa 1978) (“[P]rivate individuals cannot be empowered to select boards to spend public funds, no matter how well qualified they may be.“); Hetherington v. McHale, 329 A.2d 250, 253 (Pa. 1974) (“A fundamental precept of the democratic form of government imbedded in our Constitution is that people are to be governed only by their elected representatives.“); and Sedlak v. Dick, 887 P.2d 1119 (Kan. 1995) (provision requiring selection of Workers Compensation Board members by committee consisting of representatives chosen by labor union and business association was unconstitutional delegation of legislative power to private organizations notwithstanding government oversight).
Thus, we hold that the circuit court erred in ruling that
Reversed and remanded with instructions.
BAKER, J., dissents
KAREN R. BAKER, Justice, dissenting. I dissent from the majority opinion for the reasons explained in my opinion in Arkansas State Plant Board v. McCarty, 2019 Ark. 214, at 8, 576 S.W.3d 473, 477 (Baker, J., concurring in part; dissenting in part), and would affirm the circuit court.
ARK AG LAW, PLLC, by: J. Grant Ballard; and Davidson Law Firm, by: David L. Gershner, for appellants.
Leslie Rutledge, Att‘y Gen., by: Jennifer L. Merritt, Sr. Ass‘t Att‘y Gen., for appellees.