Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
GLuLoC.MANN Aruemw?QP(mAL
Haa. Clint Barham
couaty Attorney Wath County Texar
Iltrpbatllle,
Dear 81~1
rrwdre4 an4 quote rrom your 8 the oontrolllag 8tatute .oa 80 It prodder that the rloation oaataraed by thr
reported to the county +olarsd the oomrPi8riOne?8 ~rsrultr oourt.
%?Om
a reading Of thrre proririonr 1 8~ a0 bar18 top 8th di8tillOtiOll8 but iamauah a8 the qUO8tiOXJ 18 ma40 bo tima fOr trU8teO laOtiOm 1 a8k that md it,wfil.loOa YOU @To me 70~ opinion an thssr qufrtionrg *2 Hon. QlfntBerhem,DaSO 2
'(1) Whloh body should OallYa.18 the rsturar of OieOtiOn8 Oi OOIUIOM 8OhOOl di8triOt87 trU8tbi
-(2) 'aloh bodt rhould Oanvam the return8 ot independent rohoo1 wherein the 8OhOle8tiM dietriots Me 108s than 5000
"(3) 'Xhlah body rhould aanta8e returar ladependant eohool diatriatr having 8OhOlasti08 Of more then 5007"
Artloler 2746 an4 27&6a, Vernan*r Aanotate4 Taxa8 Civil Statutee, read a8 follow8:
=Art. 2746. Wald trUEltOO8 rhall aDpOint three (3) persO3l8, qualiiied oi tha dlrtrlot, wlm shell hold rmoh toter6 eleotlun an4 naka return8 thereof to sal4 trwteer within .
iit0 (5) day8 after 8uOh elrotion, and raid persons shall ?eOeite en cc enEatitXl for their 8erViOe8 the 8~ Of One Dollar ($3 eaoh, be paid out o? the looal fund8 oi sahool dlotrlct where the eleatlon was !mld. The Board Of Truateea, when OrdOrlag 8uoh elCotloa en4 appolnt- inng persons to hold elootion, rhall give aotior oi thr tina plaoe where auoh eleotion will be held, whlah aotfoo shall be POeted tt:thFtO 3) public plaoer wlthln the 418.
trlot at least twenty (20 I day8 prior to the data of holbing raid oleotlonr Ii, at the tlple plaar for holding 8~0h rlrotion, any Or all Ot th. p@?8Oll8 80 O~pOi@Od t0 hold 8Uoh eleotion are absent or refuse than th e l &OtO?8 to mot, ~l'O8CUlt may seleot or their number 4 QW84Xl or per8oa8 to aot in the pleoe or those absent retU8lag to act. Said Board of Trustees shall meat and oaava88 the return8 Ot raid oleation tit& rive (5) day8 after return8 hare bean made end daalare the result of said elcotion aad i88UO t0 the ~?8CUi8 60 eleoted their 001tl~li8131OIl8 88 8uOh tr'l8tCC8, and shall notify the County Judge or the County SUperlntCII- deat ii the oountp ha8 a Srrperlntandent. Ae amended, AOt8 1941, 47th Leg., p. 1373, ah. 623, 61.”
Hon. Cllat BarhsrP, pago 3 2746a. ickt. rleation of a 80hool of the ballot8 _ .“a ?Or la aomaoa 8ohOO1 4i8trlat8 an4 in ind8pm4at
truatae l OhQol d18tr:&8 hating fewer than tlra hundre4 (90) 8OhO~artiO8 08 8hom by the last preoedin8 8OhOla8tiO OOLl8UO roll approved by State Dqartmcurt of Eduoatlon b8 printad with blaok Md &Ohl8iVO Of t?M8fO?8 rhall ink 9 alear white papera of autrlolent thIaknr8a to pro- tent the marks thoraoa baIng 8ean through tha paper, and bo of MifOrm styla ard dfmea8fon) at top of fhs ballot there rh811 b;a prlate4 ~Otfiolal Bellot, Indepandsat Sohool Distriot~, the number or acme of th rrohool distriot In whrhioh the eleotioa I8 be held toa be filled in by the judge oi the county when ho ordara the ballota printed. Any peraon do8lrlng to hate hi8 n8me plaoed'on eaid ottioial ballot, a8 a 08ndldato ror the ofl'ioe of trwteo of a oum8on 8ahool diatriot or 02 an independaat oohool diatriot a8 herein prOTide rhnu, at leaat ten'dapo.before 8814 aleotlom, rile a writtan ' requeet tvlth oountf judga of the count;t In whioh 8ai4 418trlot is loaated requa8tlng that hIa aa01 be plaaed on the ofrlaIal~bal.iot, On4 a0 oan4ldats ahall have hla name printed on aai4~b8llot unlrea ho hno oompllea with the ~rovl8fOn8 of thf8 dot prOTid8d iit@ or more resident qualftied Yoteza 1 a the dlatriot na7 raquo8t that oertafn neime8 be prhtea. The oounty $&go, upon reoeigt or 8uah written raque8t, and at lehst iI00 day0 before the eleotion, 8hall hate the ballot8 prlatsd a8 provided ia this Aot, plaolng on the ballot th8 nam ot eaah aandldata who ha8 oomplled with the te?Q8 Of thf8 Aat, aad aallter a 8uffloIeat number of printed ballot8 amount or supplies nroesaary ror aaoh eleatfoa to the p?SSiaftIg otriaaz of the aleotlon at laa8t oae day betoro raid 8laatlon is to be held, raid SlsOthI 8Upplia8, ballot8, boxer, aad tally 8haOtO to be drlitard by oounty Judgr mall or in 8ny other manner by him 4oama4 beat, ~residhlg Off foe? Of a014 bl.OtiM fn rOti whloh shall not bo O~OZIO~ by the 8lOOtiOR OffiOe? OmdOpO8 until the day of the slOOtion. The expen88a of printing the btilatr and dolivaiug lame to the p?6Blding OffiOar~ togethar with thr other expense8 lnoldantal to 8814 alaO- tiaD Shall be paI out of the available maintenanaa fuadr belonging to the 8OhOOl district in w?iiah aaid lOotioD. helb, to held. The orrioera OS aald alootlon
HOJI. Clint Barham, pa&a 4
rhall.Qa required u8e ths ballota 80 fU.rai8hOd by thr aounty Judge or prowida horoln. The rlrotloa offloor shall make raturna of 8ald OlOOtlOn to tha oounty ju4dgr an4 orrtlfy the result in the aam menaer a8 18 n6w re- qU.ired by law, an4 raid ballot boxer whloh rhall harr besn fiuni8hO4 by looal school OffiOiti8 shall rant to tha fJotUAty judea and raid eleatioa ?StUM8 8b3.l be oan- V’a88sd by tha CWni88iOnOr8 ' Court and together with ballot boxer 8brU !a oafsly pre88.Wed for a period 0s threr month8 next after the data or the sleatlon. (a8 OQMasd Auto 1935, 44th Lag., pa 135, ah. 55,. 0 2.1"
Your fir8t qar8tlon rsqulree the oonrtruotion at Artiolaa 2746 an4 2746a, Vernon’8 Annotated Texar Civil Statutea. F;tl;i:lativo history Of these 8tatutea I8 thorarora highly
Artlola 2726 wa8 aaaotsd In 1915 and among otha things p&dad that the board 0s truate~a 0s ooglpcll 8OhOOl 418trlotr ahould aanvaa8 the return0 0s truatee aleotlona at , auoh ni8triOt8. Artiole 2746a was enaotsd in 1925 by Senate Bill 263 the 39th Legislature, ml among other thing8 pro- tided that the dofml88ionata* oourt rhoula aanvaa8 the return0 of trustee elaatioa8 of oommoa rahool dlstrlotr 0s lnaepsn- dent aohool alatrlot8 hating loos ~than 500 8Cho~etiOs. Seatlon 2 or saaate aiu 263 above refarred to provided rot tha rapral or all laws in 00nr;liot. It la' our opinion Senate Bill 262 rapeale and 8UpW8ed84 the provlslon in Artiale 2746 proviaing $02 the oanvaaalng or trU8tkW elactlon r6tuZn8 0s Oomlon 8ahOOl dlatrlat8 by tha board of Artlole 27&a in tho ooipLlitisloner8~ oourt not the board t&t upon the parrago trurtras,an4 or trU8tW8 wa8 the proper body oanva88 tru.ter alt4otloa ra- tUra8 of oa~mola 8ohOOl dirtrfOt8. III tit+010 27&h ~a8 emended by the 44th Lagi8laturo ln only one reaprot, towltt thr Da)‘BWtt of sleotion l XpWlS~8 Out Qf 8OhOO1 fund8 Of di8triot 0s goneral tuna or oounty. In 1937 Instead 0t 0ti 45th Legf8htUN) it ~a8 Artlo1e 2746 wag re-enaoted amended 0dly to provide that tru8tees ehould a point three for enoh voting box of the diotr ! Ot fnrtOa4 Wallflea persons of merely thrae quallr~od votara oia airtriot to hold the sootion 2 or the sot, H. B. 762, prOvide4 trust88 eleotlonr.
a8 SOllOw~r
._
Hon. Clln~ a#rhnm, pg. 5.,
*8608~60 0r the raea that In 60fh4 aah u;8trht8 In Texaa there ia more thaa oao toting box, and wherera undaf thi old Statptea groat lnooat~la~oa ma aauaed to the reaidentr or aaah.dlrtriota bsoauar or the grw dir- t&now whlaa ?na$t aeoaaaarily be traveled rad wherrar muah earing of tima ud expenar oan be obtalnrd by l llawlng the holdtie of ~~6ot10~8 IpOP OontMiMt t0 the rotary oreate aa emergeaey and an taperatlrr ublio neoseaity b 116 to be read oa t&m P Constitutional Rule requiring
several day6 br eaependsd, end raid Rule ia hereby 8uapeaded, ~4 -18 Aot almU- take SlVeot and bo in for00 on and after ita paoeeger and it is 60 qaoted.”
The 80%. ala.'& oontaia a rapalfng olauro, 2?&6 was again re-anaotad anti tumwled la 1941 by H. 8, l,l?$: 47th Leglaleture. The artlola wee mend& only with roapret to the payment or 01eoti0~1 0xptia66, providing for the ptqmrnt or anoh expenao8 by the board ot trWteee instead ot the oouuty, Then aot did’ not aontaln a repealing olaaae.
KPe thluk r0uOdng rules or 6tfitlttOP~ oonatra~ tlan are pertinent and a plloablo to pour firat u6atlon. Xa Quote room Imrla* Suaher aad matutory Conetouot on, pager $41-E P P as iollowat 34, 524+#,
qhs oonatitutional pratiefon requiring anendmeatr to be made eo%tiag out the whola 8aOtlOn a6 amadd ~68 ' not FatenQsd to makr any dirrsrent rulo as to the eifeot Of 6UOh #IWIld!6OBt#. So tar aa the aeotlon 1s ahanged it maat rsoelte a naw operation, but 60 rar 86 It $8 not ohangod it would be dangoroar hold that mere nominal re-ansotmeat #atld hate th0 6rr40t or dlrturbing the whole body of rtatutea.in pari mstuia whloh bad been pa886d 83506 enaotmeat. There must something in nature rir6t or the new lo~alatlon .show auoh an intent with reaaon- able oloararsr before an lmplied repeal OM bo reoogalaed. ‘By obeutlng O0fl8titUtiOllti rOX%II Or amending a 8@OtiOa or statute,* tho OoUrt in 0110 oaar, ‘the legi8lahWe doss not axpro an intonttoa then to Meat. tha whole 8eOtiOn as (Moaitod, .bnt Only an lntsatlon then to eneot the ohaage whioh 16 indioated. Any other rule at oonatruotlon ,would e~tiy intrtiuoe uwxpeotd result6 a+ work imat ~JM- v6nDf6noe. q
Hm. Cl&t Barham, page [6]
Vha sPraudmant oparatsa to repeal ell+.bS the aeo-
tlon'daooded not eabraoed .fn tha amrndad rorm.
tlona of the amondad aaotlona whioh are morelr WithOUt ohangr are not to be oonalda~ed (1s repealed and to have been. the law at any time prior to the paaaagc, of tha amandad aot. Tha ahanae taker eiieot proapeotIvaly aooordlng to the general mfr. A repeal of that l ot would not rfflte &rotiaI&i~ ia origlntip emote& On the OontrarfJ, a repeal of the amendatory aot atmld bC a repeal of tha prorlaiona therein oontlnued ha foroe frog the original a&,
‘*. . . ~i%hsrs a urotIao Is added to a eeotlon bd nmendmrat It all be atrlotl~ CCQ8trUOd will be applied only to that aeotloa, unleaa a oontrary la oloar.* intent ~Fa@ziaIa addodl
qapaal anA ra-anaotmant - Effcat or ra-anaotmaut on 3.ntarmadIata aota .-This rubjeot has alraadp bran OWLI alderad to wrm extant la a roraer ohaptar. Where an aat la aaendad or r8v,crLed, and the rcmmar aat expressly or by inp%boatIon raplalad; saoh provlalona of the old law a8 are ubattitlall re-eaaoted~ are deemed to oontlnuoua. *A T later law wh oh Is merely a ro-anaotmant of a formar doer
not rapeel an lnterinodlate aot whloh has qualified or lImIted first one, but such IntarmadIats aot wIl1 be,doemed to ranala in roroe, a& tq qua3lry or modfry the new aot la the aama manuor as It aid the rirst.* This 1s aape0iaU.y true ii the Intarmadiats law la apsoial or partlaular and re-enaoted law la a ganeral law nn the sane aubfeot. Where a law is amended and re-anaated as amended, any intsrmdiate law ineonalatent pith the new matter. lntroduoed, or ohango made by the amendment, wI.11 be rspoaled. where a law la aubatantlallp r+anaotad It la sald to ahow that the logla- lature did not regard It as repugmn% to an intermediate in the sale of liquor. An amendment forbade granted aot to aaxo axten ouvrring ohartor aubjeot. #am A town in 1859 made to gave power m-enacted was ohmtar of lloenar th0 linit6 Or aA town Its sale. In 1870 tha extended. This was held not to repaal ths aat oi lLt59, but to be a mere deolaratlon that the rot of 1857 was
J *7 Hau. OllntBuham,pqe [7] or an aot Of 1885 Nevada Of passago. SOOtIOn [5]
original ‘In regard oounty oociponaatlon of to the orrloera 8till in totoe, ~83 rolatsd or tiae the baok to its fixed the oozlpoaaation oi tho oounty oiiloora or Elk sherlfr oortaln retbe, dlatrlot oouaty, giving attorney a salary got 2,000 the auporlntandont of aohoolr a salary of 9 80 0. l'ebruarr 23, 1887, aa l ot was ~aaasd to oonsolldate oortaln oouatl OfiiO08,
*hioh provided that dietriot attorneys should be ex oftlolo l uprrlntendsntls of l ohoola without additional oom armatlon. On Uaroh 5, 1887, 8e6tIon o? tha l o% oi 885 uaa aaonded so aa to give the aherlfr ot Elk P
oouaty a salarT or 34,000, In lieu or toes, an4 the aeotlon re-atiaoted inoluding the salary of $600 Sor the aupsrintscdont of aohoola. It was hold that the or the aot of. 1887 was to ohango the oom- only objoot to a salary, that it did not peqaatlou or the ah~rlrf tha aot oi Bobruarr, 1887, that repeal or aiieot the district attorney was not entitled to the aalar) or 3600 as ex oriioio superintendent of aohoola.*
It la our opinion that Senate Bill 263 OS the 39th Laglalaturo repealed and skporaeded the prurldon of Artlole 2746 (passed In 1915) proriding ror the oanvaaalng ot truetee oleotIoq8 or ooninon aohool dlatrlota by the board It ‘1s our rurther oplnlon that it was not the of t~tUt4BO8.
intention or the l,Sth LogIalatuo in to repeal the pro- tislon or A,rtlola 27&a providing for oanvaaaing trustee elections oi oommon aohool diatrlotr by the ooamla- aionerr~ ooourt in their ro-enaotment aud amYUnw&t Or AHIOle It ia our rur8har opinion it was not Intention 2746, oi the 47th Leglalature La 194l repeal auoh proo*iaIoaa of Artlao 27&a III the re-enaotmont and anendaent of Artiole 2744. Tho oaao of Shaw f. Taylor; 1f.6 9.X (24 452,
rudered DOO, 19, 1940 involved the oontoat of a eamaon 8ohool trust00 leot~on, a0 trfd wurb~a rindingr 0r iaot patriot ahow tha$ elootion rotarna were oanvaaaed the oomla- aIoaara* court. Noithor party questioned this propoaitIon were strongly oontoatod. The Oourt although other matters Mth rull knorledgo auoh raot6 rouderod judgmnt. 01 OouI%i Us oage 16 not dooIalto -56 porguaglrr upon the quoatloa. Qt*nt net dlr00tlJ b&ore the court question mat o? your ab 10aSt la , but It [801118] a6 llattar
ma. Ollnt Buham, page 6
In an8wer to your first question you ue rcspcot- fully advised that it ia the opinion of this that dopartmeat the oommlrsloaerr~ ootut rhould oanvass the rcturnc of tmmtcc clcotioac oi oomzaon 8ohool diatriotc, 0piniOIA8 Numbcrrr o-655, 0-750 and O-1357 o? thir department 8re hereby ovcrrulc4 inro- far a8 they ooafllot with thir holdlng.
The 0880 of Thomae v. McGcmn, 94 S.YY. (26) 839, hold8 cn clcction in cn lndcpcndcnt sohool dirtrlat hd.llg 1CS8 thM 500 8OhOhlltfO8 W'M IlOt OOIl@8tCd tllltil th.
r&urn8 had beca.oanvs8se4 bt the oomd8aioa6r81 oourt a8 provided Artlola 27&a, V.A.O.S.
In an3war~to'your 8cOOn4 qUC8tiOll you arc respcot- fully advised that lb 18 the opinion of this d8pCHLICCat that th6 oommlacloncrc~ oourt should ocnvaac return8 of trwtcc ChOtiOll8 of lndcpcudcut cohool dictlYiOt8 w%crein the 8OhOla8tiO8 am 1CSS than 500.
Article 2776, Vernon*8 Aanotated Texas Civil Statutcr, read8 a8 fOllOw81
"All ~lootlons shall bc ordered by the boar4 of trustees of eaoh IndcpcnUcnt 8OhOol distriOt{ Snd 8UOh order shall bc mad8 at l&tat ten daya bciO?C the 4atC Of clcotlon; an4 a aotloe of the order rhall be ported at three ditfercnt plaocr'ia bhc dlstxlot. The boar6 of rohool truatee8, at the time of ordering 8aoh elcotioa, shall appoint three parson8 to hold the clcotfon, an4 chall db8i@iCitC the p&Q88 wh8re the PO118 8hal1 be QpSft.
Eaoh pcraon appointed to hold cuoh elcotloa rhall rcOcivC dollar thcrcfor, to bc paid Out O? the gCncz& iUn4 of the oounty aa other 01aL.w are paid. All luoh ClOctioII8 8hdll be held, and returnr thcrcof nadc to..the board 8Ohool tlW8tCC8, in aooordanoe with the general cleotion hW3. The board of 8ohool trustee8 8hall Oallvall 8Uch returns, dcolare thc'rcsult of suOh OlcOtioa, and i88Uc obrtirioatcr of cleotion to perron ahown br SuOh returns be cleotcd.W the case of killer T. CO??~S, U.8 T. 381, 15 S.FJ- (2a)
l0%, answer8 Ocrtlfie4 quertlonr ooniormeb $0 (CiT* APP.1 l7 %W. (26) 1100, holds t&t ArtiOlC 2776,V.kC.5., aRPlic8 to 8ch~l dirtriot@ orgcnlacd under gcilcrcl lndepcndmt OboOl 4&- trk laws.
i
Bon. Clint Barham, page 9
.'Ia aaawcr to pour third question you arc re8pcot- ?tiiY adVi86d that it 18 thC OpiniOn Of this dCp&G¶Cat that board Of 8hoti4 OC.IlVCa8 return8 Of trU8tCC8 trU8tCC cleotions of ln4cpcadcnt SC3001 distriots having 8OhOla8tiO8 0r 500 more.
Very truly your8