Case Title: Ex Parte Bronner

Citation: 623 So. 2d 296

Docket Number: 1911014, 1911016

State: alabama

Court: Alabama Supreme Court

Date: 1993-01-15T00:00:00Z

Document:
623 So. 2d 296 (1993)
Ex parte David G. BRONNER, et al.
(Re David G. BRONNER, et al. v. David AVANT.)
Ex parte David AVANT.
(Re David G. BRONNER, et al. v. David AVANT.)
1911014, 1911016.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
January 15, 1993.
Rehearing Denied March 5, 1993.
William T. Stephens, Montgomery, for petitioners/cross-respondents.
*297 Robin G. Laurie of Balch & Bingham, Montgomery, for respondent/cross-petitioner.
PER CURIAM.
We granted certiorari review in this case concerning retirement credit for part-time legislative employees in order to determine whether the Court of Civil Appeals erred in upholding Act No. 89-800, 1989 Ala.Acts, codified as §§ 36-27-100 to -103, Ala.Code 1975 (Cum.Supp.1989), and in its interpretation of Act. No 89-915, codified as § 36-27-53. We affirm in part (as to Act No. 89-800), reverse in part (as to Act No. 89-915), and remand.
David Avant, a part-time legislative employee of the State of Alabama, sought retirement credit in the Employees' Retirement System ("ERS") under Act. No. 89-800 and Act. No 89-915 for his part-time work. The ERS's Board of Control denied Avant's request to purchase retirement credit until the constitutionality of Act No. 89-800 could be judicially determined. Act No. 89-800 allows certain part-time legislative employees to purchase retirement credit in addition to the credit they already had, by paying specified amounts to the ERS.
The Board of Control directed its general counsel to seek a judgment declaring Act No. 89-800 unconstitutional, and the Board filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, on December 12, 1989. Avant counterclaimed, seeking to be allowed to purchase additional retirement credit under Act No. 89-915 for service for which he already had retirement credit.
Judge Joseph D. Phelps held a nonjury trial on June 7, 1990. The parties stipulated as to certain facts. In an order entered December 19, 1990, Judge Phelps held that Act No. 89-800 did not violate the equal protection provisions of the state and federal constitutions, because, he concluded, it furthered the legitimate government purpose of aiding in the employment of part-time legislative employees. He also ruled that Avant was entitled to buy the retirement credit he sought under Act. No. 89-915.
The Board of Control appealed to the Court of Civil Appeals. That court affirmed with respect to the constitutionality of Act. No. 89-800, but reversed with respect to the interpretation and application of Act. No. 89-915, on the grounds that Avant had already purchased retirement credit in 1984 under Act No. 84-805 for his part-time legislative employment.
We granted certiorari review and heard oral argument in this case on the ERS's petition to review the Court of Civil Appeals' judgment with respect to the constitutionality of Act No. 89-800 and on Avant's petition to review the judgment with respect to the interpretation and application of Act No. 89-915.
Having carefully considered the record and the oral and written arguments in this case, we adopt as part of our own opinion the following order by Judge Phelps:
We have also considered the ERS's claim that Act No. 89-800 is unconstitutional under Art. IV, §§ 45 and 68, Constitution of Alabama 1901. We find the contention that the Act violates § 45 to be without merit, on the authority of Thomas v. Niemann, 397 So. 2d 90 (Ala.1981); Opinion of the Justices No. 138, 262 Ala. 345, 81 So. 2d 277, 281 (1955); and we find the contention that the Act violates § 68 to be without merit also, on the authority of Kohen v. Board of School Comm'rs of Mobile County, 510 So. 2d 216 (Ala.1987).
We therefore affirm that portion of the judgment of the Court of Civil Appeals upholding Act No. 89-800; we reverse that *300 portion of the judgment denying Avant an opportunity to purchase credit under Act No. 89-915 for his part-time employment under the Act; and we remand this cause for proceedings consistent with this opinion.
AFFIRMED as to Act No. 89-800; REVERSED as to Act No. 89-915; AND REMANDED.
MADDOX, ALMON, SHORES, ADAMS and INGRAM, JJ., concur.
HOUSTON, J., concurs in the result.
HOUSTON, Justice (concurring in the result).
There is no equal protection clause in the Constitution of Alabama of 1901. The equal protection clause that was in previous Alabama Constitutions was purposefully deleted by the Constitutional Convention of 1901. See 2 Official Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of 1901, pp. 1622-34, 1639-44, and 2254-60.
Likewise, §§ 1, 6, and 22 of the Alabama Constitution taken together do not guarantee the equal protection of the laws. Moore v. Mobile Infirmary Ass'n, 592 So. 2d 156, 175-77 (Ala.1991) (Houston, J., concurring in the result).