Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
Honorable J. C. Roe
County Attorney
lyamrro County
Corsicana, Texas QQilliOIl NO. O-7260
Dear Sir:
Re: Validity of Yectlon 2, Par.
page 280 reads:
"'Ho school dia
under or vhich order to ahov districts in Ravarro viev of this section of eet all other requirements s of your opinion of the legality Ion of the Statute. It occurs la unreasonable and arbitrary 1~ of the recipients of the aid, and enallaes certain school diEtriCt8 o conducted their finances as to be able to reduce their tax rate but still meet all qualifications necessary secure the a~ld provided, and that the qualifications placed on such recipients by such section of the stetute should be stricken *2 Han. 3. C. Roe - Page 2
the 8ame because of such unreasonableness and because same an arbitrary classification upon olass legislation and vholly defeats the purpose, aim and object of the legislature.
‘Pleese advise me a8 to the constltu- tioI'i8lity Of the above Section Of Bte.tUte above referred to at your earliest oonvenleace and oblige. n
Your attack sgalnst the paragraph above quoted ~03 the Rum1 Aid Law is apparently b88ed upon the Article of qur Conatltution vhich prohibits discriminatory and class legie- lation, md also sec. 5 of Article 7, which define8 the “avail- able school fund” and declares this fund “shall be distributed to the several oounties to their scholaatlo popu- 8UCOrding lation. o
Since the case of Numme Y. Marra, 40 s. W. (2) 31, deaided by our Supreme Court is squarely decisive of the issues raised by youp r8queat, ve quote very liberally Srom it: . . . Since the Legislature has the
mandatory duty to make suitable provision ior system 0r support and maintenance of an afrf0id publie free 8ohoo18, paver peas any end has law relative thereto, not prohibited by the Constl- tution, it necessarj.ly r0il0v8 tbat it has a oh0lco In the selection mDethOd8 by vhioh the object of the OP- ganic lav may be efte&ated. The Legislature alone is to judge what meaus are neoesaary awl appropriate for a purpose vhich the Constitution makes 1egitLmate.
The legislative deters&nation of the aethods, re- strictions and regulations is final, except vhen so srbltrary as to be violative of the constitutional rights of the oitisen. 6 rtuling case mu, p. 1551154.. .
“A.8 t0 vhether OP not a laV 8ecur88 due
process end equal pmteotlon e,e required by the Con- stitution depend8 upon the subject On which it operates and the oharacter of rights vhich it affects. The con- stitutional guarantee does not forbid the state *3 aa. J. C. Roe - Pase 3
sdJu8tlng its legl8l&lon to di.ffkpences in sit- uBt1Qn. Equal prottitlon or law8 ie 8ecumtl if the atatutcse do not subject then individual to srbltrtuy oxerclee or the powem or govomment. It .~ 18 vell eettled that le@ektlon te not open to objection if a11 who are brought under it8 influence am trertsd alike in the name clWiaa8tances. 9 Texan Jur+b- pTud-to, P. 553 11.17. Xn the very nature of oooiety vith its mar&fold ooaupitlono and aontaat8, the L&a- latum laut hove. and alearly doe8 hove, authority 018882.Q 8ubjset8 of legt8latloa, and, when the olarsi- rtoatian narwable - the* ir, h8Bd MpQn 80# real differonoe exl8tlng ia t-ho sub sot of tit4 emotmat - and the lav applier Mrmly L tho8e vha are vlthln the partlo*r e&08, the not lo not open to conotl- tutlorml ob Cction. 9 Taxar JwiePmdcuroe, p. 555, il19, P. 5 54 , ~120, P. 5611, I121. of the lav ttmt a 8-1 %ho pmvlriaa
rhall not be eligible to retelve ruml aid until it vote8 a tax of 75 oents ma the @OO valuatlan o?
texable propertyofthe dUtriotl8not au unmmson8bZs becouee vell belov the m ~@e%u&tted roqulmmmt, by the ~onotltuUen and 18~8 of the state. Xt YJ bo rot.4 or not, u detonrtn+d by tb t yen tbomelvee. mor 18 it di8oriminatory, Wwe It app ieo all dir- T which 8pply r0r aid.”
tracts auka Ys belleve the b8t quobat,ion dea the quelltian et haad agd you am themfore rbvirsU t&t l eotlon the rural Nd I,ey Inquired about ie oan8tltutitUWl.
Although you have stat& t&t the rohool dirtriots In q\rrstIon are not eligible tar Sbte Aid by ma8on ot abov8 VB are enclosing copies of Opiniono Ho8. O-6768, quotd pamgreph, 0-7017, a-7096 and o-7Sl7, vhieh i+el?pret thl8 wrqwph.
Yews very tmly uooaTQv lEdwml8 BY Asrrirtant