STATE of Wyoming, Appellant (Defendant), v. Ann STOVALL and Jodi Jude, Appellees (Plaintiffs).
No. 5654.
Supreme Court of Wyoming.
July 20, 1982.
648 P.2d 543
Up to that time, the appellant had received no specific information concerning alcohol or drug use except for various copies of college regulations regarding the use of alcohol and drugs in college facilities. No specifics regarding appellant‘s alleged activities with drugs or alcohol were ever communicated to him even though he made two requests for further clarification. The only specific notice he ever received concerning Charge No. 7 had to do with alleged homosexual relationships with students.
Given these facts, I can reach no other conclusion but that appellant was never given adequate notice of the specific charges which formed the basis of the board‘s decision, even though he had made several requests for that information. Under Spiegel, supra, and Powell, supra, the facts clearly required reversal of the board‘s decision since appellant‘s statutory (
Specification of the issues is one of the basic elements of fair procedure and fairness dictates that a party to a contested case be apprised of the facts beforehand. Schwartz, Administrative Law, § 97, p. 274 (1976). Here, the board and college administration did not act fairly, and even if the evidence, in the final analysis, clearly supported appellant‘s firing, the fact that appellant‘s rights to due process were violated should not be ignored. In my judgment, the majority opinion disregards our prior case law which is directly in point, solely because of the overwhelming evidence actually supporting the board‘s decision. I cannot, however, support their conclusions since I am convinced the procedures utilized to reach that result violated appellant‘s minimal rights to due process of law.
For these reasons, I would have reversed.
Keith G. Kautz of Sawyer & Warren, Torrington, for appellees.
David Tewell of Tewell, Thorpe & Findlay, Inc., P. C., Seattle, Wash., and Edwin H. Whitehead of Urbigkit & Whitehead, P. C., Cheyenne, signed the amicus curiae brief on behalf of Savage Brothers, Inc., in support of appellees.
John E. Stanfield, Laramie, signed the amicus curiae brief on behalf of the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association, in support of appellees.
Before ROSE, C. J., and RAPER, THOMAS, ROONEY and BROWN, JJ.
BROWN, Justice.
Appellees Stovall and Jude were injured when a car which Stovall was driving went off the highway. They filed suit for damages against appellant State Highway Department (Department) under the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act,
We affirm.
Section
“A governmental entity is liable for damages resulting from bodily injury, wrongful death or property damage caused by the negligence of public employees while acting within the scope of their duties in the operation or maintenance of public facilities * * * ”
The single issue for review is whether the words “public facilities” in
Before resorting to rules of statutory construction, courts first try to assume that words of a statute have their plain, ordinary and usual meaning in the absence of clear statutory provisions to the contrary. Board of County Commissioners of County of Campbell v. Ridenour, Wyo., 623 P.2d 1174 (1981). Counsel for the respective parties have found no case in which the court‘s ultimate holding was based upon its having construed the words “public facilities” either to include or not to include highways, nor has our independent research discovered any such case. However, from a survey of the cases, it appears that there is an assumption that a public highway is a public facility.
The cases which either directly state that a highway is a facility or imply that a highway is a facility are more prevalent than those which set out a highway and a public facility as two different things. “[A]
Other cases, which quote from statutes, use highways and public facilities in a list of words, implying that they are different. One case speaks of “highways, public facilities, flood control projects, and urban renewal activities.” State ex rel. West Virginia Housing Development Fund v. Copenhaver, 153 W.Va. 636, 171 S.E.2d 545, 551 (1969). Another case speaks of the handicapped having access to the “free use of the streets, highways, sidewalks, walkways, public buildings, public facilities, and all other buildings and facilities.” Burgess v. Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company, 39 N.C. App. 481, 250 S.E.2d 687, 688 (1979), reversed on other issues, 298 N.C. 520, 259 S.E.2d 248 (1979).
We have found no case, however, which says that a public highway is not a public facility. The plain, ordinary, and usual meaning of a facility is that it is something which “promotes the ease of any action, operation, transaction, or course of conduct.” Black‘s Law Dictionary, 531 (5th ed. 1979); and Webster‘s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, p. 812 (G. & C. Merriam Co. 1971). The purpose of a highway is to promote the ease of travel. In the ordinary sense of the word, it is a facility. However, buildings, recreational areas, parks, hospitals and airports are also facilities in the ordinary sense of the word. The legislature set out separate statutes establishing governmental liability for negligence occurring in these facilities, which it arguably did not need to do if it intended the term facility to be used in its ordinary and broadest sense. Therefore, “facilities” here is susceptible of more than one meaning and an ambiguity exists. When an ambiguity exists, courts then resort to rules of statutory construction. State ex rel. Albany County Weed and Pest District v. Board of County Commissioners of County of Albany, Wyo., 592 P.2d 1154 (1979).
Statutory construction is a fertile source of litigation for parties and a fertile source of frustration for courts. Here, the legislature was successful in obscuring its intent regarding highways and “public facilities,” if indeed it had any. Although courts resort to numerous rules of statutory construction to determine legislative intent, they are often reduced to drawing what they hope is a logical inference about the legislature‘s intent, knowing that if their inference is wrong, the legislature will eventually correct it. We are in that position here. We will discuss some of the accepted rules of statutory construction because they offer us help. They are, nevertheless, not determinative; we are left to make what we think is a logical inference of the legislative intent.
The fundamental rule in statutory construction is to ascertain, if possible, what the legislature intended by the language used, viewed in light of the objects and purposes to be accomplished. School Districts Nos. 2, 3, 6, 9, and 10, in County of Campbell v. Cook, Wyo., 424 P.2d 751 (1967). Where the policy is stated in a preamble to an act, that statement of policy may be considered. Sanchez v. State, Wyo., 567 P.2d 270 (1977). The statement of purpose for the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act says:
“The Wyoming legislature recognizes the inherently unfair and inequitable results which occur in the strict application of the doctrine of governmental immunity and is cognizant of the Wyoming supreme court decision of Oroz v. Board of County Commissioners, 575 P.2d 1155 (1978). * * * This act is adopted by the legislature to balance the respective equities between persons injured by governmental actions and the taxpayers of the state of Wyoming whose revenues are utilized by governmental entities on behalf of those taxpayers. * * * ”
Section 1-39-102(a), W.S.1977, Cum.Supp.1981 .
In Oroz v. Board of County Commissioners of County of Carbon, Wyo., 575 P.2d 1155 (1978), this court abolished the doctrine of municipal immunity, saying that it was an unfair doctrine. The Department‘s argument and conclusion that the legislature did not intend that the term “public facilities” include highways is not illogical, just as appellees’ contrary conclusion is not illogical. When we are confronted with two possible but conflicting conclusions, we will choose the one that is most logically designed to cure the mischief or inequity that the legislature was attempting to accomplish. In ascertaining legislative intent, courts must look to, among other things, the mischief a statute was intended to cure, the historical setting surrounding its enactment, and the public policy of the state. Saffels v. Bennett, Wyo., 630 P.2d 505 (1981). Here, the legislature was trying to correct the inequity of the doctrine of governmental immunity. It acknowledged the unfairness of strict application of governmental immunity and cited Oroz v. Board of County Commissioners of County of Carbon, supra, a case dealing with negligent maintenance of highways. Under the Department‘s theory, the Oroz decision would be nullified. If the legislature had intended to do that, we think it would not have taken cognizance of that decision one breath after it acknowledged the unfairness of the immunity doctrine.
Another rule of statutory construction is that courts may try to determine legislative intent by looking at the legislative history of a statute. Padilla v. State, Wyo., 601 P.2d 189 (1979). Unfortunately, because of the sparse legislative history kept in this state, peering into the past, even the very recent past, becomes as difficult as predicting the future. What legislative history we do have is as follows:
Section 1-39-111 of House Bill 122, when introduced, read:
“1-39-111. Liability; highways and streets. Notwithstanding W.S. 1-39-104(a) a governmental entity is liability [sic] for damages resulting from bodily injury, wrongful death or property damage caused by the negligence of public employees while acting within the scope of their duties in the operation or maintenance of public bridges, culverts, highways, roadways, streets, alleys, sidewalks or parking areas.” (Emphasis added.)
The bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee, which deleted House Bill 122 and substituted House Bill 122A. Section 1-39-111 of House Bill 122A read:
“1-39-111. Liability; highways and streets. Subject to W.S. 1-39-113 and 1-39-114 a governmental entity is liable for damages resulting from tortious conduct of public employees while acting within the scope of their duties in the operation or maintenance of public facilities within the jurisdiction of the employing governmental entity.” (Emphasis added.)
House Bill 122A was adopted by the House and sent to the Senate, which amended it so that § 1-39-111 read:
“1-39-111. Liability; highways and streets. A governmental entity is liable for damages resulting from bodily injury, wrongful death or property damage caused by the negligence of public employees while acting within the scope of their duties in the operation or maintenance of public facilities within the jurisdiction of the employing governmental entity.” (Emphasis added.)
The House refused to concur in the amendments and House Bill 122A was sent to a joint conference committee, which rec-
The Department argues that the deletion of the word “highways” and the substitution of the words “public facilities” shows that the legislature did not intend to impose liability for negligently maintained highways. Appellees argue that the change in the wording involved replacing specific words with broader, more inclusive language. We think this argument makes more sense. If we were to assume that the legislature wanted to eliminate “highways” when it substituted the term “public facilities,” then we would also have to assume that the legislature intended to eliminate public bridges, culverts, roadways, streets, alleys, sidewalks or parking areas. If we make that assumption, we are left to conjecture just what the legislature meant to include, an activity which courts wisely try to avoid.
The Department conjectures in its brief that the legislature meant “public facilities” to include “public amusement areas, public exhibitions, public housing, public buildings, public places of entertainment, places of business, places of public resort.” However, public amusement areas, public housing, public places of entertainment, public places of exhibition, and places of public resort all appear to be covered under
“A governmental entity is liable for damages * * * caused by the negligence of public employees * * * in the operation or maintenance of any building, recreation area or public park.”
Of all the things the Department suggests the legislature intended to cover by the term “facilities,” the only one which does not already appear to be covered by another statute is “places of business,” which as a matter of common sense would be conducted in a public building, an area covered in
Another rule of statutory construction is that courts may try to determine legislative intent by considering the type of statute being interpreted. The Department argues that this statute is in derogation of common law. A statute designed
This statute, however, is not entirely in derogation of the common law. At the time it was passed, two separate areas of common law existed in Wyoming, one concerning municipal immunity, meaning governmental bodies other than the state; the other concerning sovereign immunity, meaning state governmental bodies. We said in Worthington v. State, Wyo., 598 P.2d 796 (1979), that governmental subdivisions included in municipal corporations, school districts, cities, or any other subdivisions of government possess none of the attributes of a sovereign being, as they are creatures of the delegated authority which flows from the state.
Sovereign immunity pertains to a suit against the state wherein a state officer or agency is or will be required to use state property or funds to afford the relief demanded, or which seeks to compel officers or agents to do something which will impose contractual liability on the state. Retail Clerks Local 187 AFL-CIO v. University of Wyoming, Wyo., 531 P.2d 884 (1975). The Wyoming Governmental Claims Act,
nity for the negligent maintenance and operation of highways had been abolished by the Oroz decision. Because
On the other hand, under the common law in Wyoming at the time this Act was passed, sovereign immunity for negligence, including negligent maintenance and operation of highways, did exist. If we construed
Also, this Act does speak in clear and unequivocal terms. It is explicit in setting up exceptions to immunity. Unquestionably, immunity is no longer going to be absolute; in that sense the Act is precise. The legislature obviously intended to exempt the negligent operation and maintenance of public facilities from immunity; unfortunately, it failed to define the term.3
ming Governmental Claims Act, saying that the legislature had to abolish the doctrine; (3) the legislature had passed an act abrogating some governmental immunity for tort, which became effective after the injury in Worthington v. State, supra, occurred. If the special bill was just an act of grace by the legislature, then we are presented with an anomalous position.
As we have already said, if we assume that the legislature meant to keep sovereign immunity for negligent maintenance and operation of highways, we assume that it implicitly negated Oroz v. Board of County Commissioners of County of Carbon, supra, because the Act speaks to governmental immunity, a term which in this Act means both municipal and sovereign immunity. Then we must assume that after implicitly negating Oroz v. Board of County Commissioners of County of Carbon, supra, the legislature turned right around and granted a cause of action to Ms. Worthington based on negligent sovereign operation and maintenance of a highway. It seems more logical to assume that the legislature intended to act consistently, first acknowledging the unfairness of the immunity doctrine and then allowing Ms. Worthington to prosecute her cause of action for the reason that anyone else can now prosecute a similar cause of action.
For all these reasons, we think the legislature intended to include public highways in the term “public facilities.”
Affirmed.
I concur with the result reached by the majority opinion but express the following in hopes that the legislature will act to more clearly express its intent relative to this very important enactment. I agree with the majority opinion that such enactment is ambiguous and that we must, therefore, attempt to ascertain the legislative intention.
I do not agree that such intention can be gathered from the reference to Oroz v. Board of County Commissioners of County of Carbon, Wyo., 575 P.2d 1155 (1978) in the purpose clause of the Act,
“* * * Even though Oroz has abrogated sovereign immunity for counties, cities, and lesser political subdivisions, the legislature can enact such laws as to nullify this decision.”
Nor do I find the fact that the legislature passed a private bill on behalf of Mrs. Worthington, subsequent to the opinion in Worthington v. State, Wyo., 598 P.2d 796 (1979), to be of consequence. Private bills have long been a means of waiving governmental or sovereign immunity as the legislature deemed proper. Its use in this instance cannot reflect legislative intent, in-
sofar as the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act is concerned, one way or the other. It could be said that this private bill indicated legislative intent to maintain its control over waiver of immunity with reference to claims based on negligent maintenance of highways.2
I do find an indication of legislative intent in the history of the enactment—but with different emphasis than that placed thereon by the majority opinion. The majority opinion accurately points out the redundancy resulting from the use of the general words “public facilities” in
Normally, a specific enumeration followed by a general term restricts application of the statutory provision to the same kind of things specifically enumerated. State ex rel. R. R. Crow & Co. v. Copenhaver, 64 Wyo. 1, 184 P.2d 594 (1947); State ex rel. Goshen Irr. Dist. v. Hunt, 49 Wyo. 497, 57 P.2d 793 (1936); In re Metcalf‘s Estate, 41 Wyo. 36, 282 P. 27 (1929); Baker v. Board of Com‘rs of Crook County, 9 Wyo. 51, 59 P. 797 (1900); People ex rel. School Dist. No. 3, Laramie County v. Dolan, 5 Wyo. 245, 39 P. 752 (1895); Town of Worland v. Odell & Johnson, 79 Wyo. 1, 329 P.2d
However, one step in the legislative history of the enactment reflects a legislative intent to use the words “public facilities” to mean “highways and streets.” When the words “public facilities” first appeared in the enactment at the time House Bill 122A was substituted for House Bill 122, the section heading read: “Liability; highways and streets.”
“* * * [C]ontext, position of the sections, and the insertion of subheads in the original Act * * * are unmistakable indicia * * * [of legislative intention] * * * ”
Hoffmeister v. McIntosh, Wyo., 361 P.2d 678, 679, reh. denied 364 P.2d 823 (1961). (Bracketed material added.)
Although the section heading was not newly inserted, the legislature saw fit to allow it to remain. It is true that a joint conference committee subsequently changed the section heading to read: “Liability; public facilities“; but at the time the words “public facilities” were inserted into the statute proper, the section heading was allowed to reflect application of the section of “highways and streets.” The legislative intent was thus expressed to have “public facilities” be synonymous with “highways and streets.”
As noted, the enactment concerns an extremely important element of negligence actions. The legislature should remove any ambiguous or vague aspects of it and use language to make clear the extent of the waiver of immunity.
D. N. HADDENHAM, d/b/a B & D Distributors, Appellant (Petitioner), v. The CITY OF LARAMIE, Appellee (Defendant).
No. 5674.
Supreme Court of Wyoming.
July 21, 1982.
Notes
This presumption that legislatures intend every word to have meaning gives more credit to legislators than to the rest of the population. Courts, unlike legislatures, are not presumed to give meaning to every word.
Edwin Newman in his book A Civil Tongue says that Americans are extravagant in their use of words, using two when one will do. He cites the examples of Henry Kissinger discussing a “hypothetical situation that does not now exist.” He also cites a Pentagon spokesman who gives out a “preliminary final count,” presumably because (Kissinger again) it is too early to draw a “final conclusion.” The New York Times uses the term “loud yelling,” which Newman says may be done individually or, as at college athletic contests, in “mass unison.”
Newman says there are two causes for our waste. One is the feeling that an idea is more effective if it is repeated. “This is why Jimmy Carter says that he had a deeply profound religious experience. At any rate, I want to believe that that is why. I would hate to learn that he thought that deep and profound are different.” The second cause of waste, according to Newman, is a failure to understand what words mean. “The New York Times could not run a headline about an unexpected surprise from Japan if it knew what surprise meant.” Edwin Newman, “A Fatal Slaying of the Very Worst Kind” from A Civil Tongue (Warner Books Edition, 1976.)
“Double talk” is an American expression. It is talk that sounds impressive, but means nothing.
Wyoming Attorney General Opinion No. 79-003, January 30, 1979, p. 11, requested by the Chairman of the Joint Judiciary Interim Committee.