Case Title: Clark v. State Ex Rel. Miss. State Med. Ass'n

Citation: 381 So. 2d 1046

Docket Number: 

State: mississippi

Court: Mississippi Supreme Court

Date: 1980-03-26T00:00:00Z

Document:
381 So. 2d 1046 (1980) Howard D. CLARK, M.D., Gilbert R. Mason, M.D. and William A. Middleton, M.D. v. STATE of Mississippi ex rel. MISSISSIPPI STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION et al. No. 51602. Supreme Court of Mississippi. March 26, 1980. Binder & Moore, Alvin M. Binder, Herman C. Glazier, Jr., Jackson, for appellants. A.F. Summer, Atty. Gen., by Larry J. Stroud, Special Asst. Atty. Gen., Wise, Carter, Child, Steen & Caraway, James K. Child, Jr., J. Leray McNamara, Jackson, for appellees. Before ROBERTSON, P.J., and WALKER and BROOM, JJ. *1047 ROBERTSON, Presiding Justice, for the Court: On April 15, 1977, the State of Mississippi on relation of the Mississippi State Medical Association, S. Lamar Bailey, M.D., et al., filed an Information in the Nature of a Quo Warranto in the Circuit Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, challenging the authority of Doctors Howard D. Clark, Gilbert R. Mason and William A. Middleton to serve as members of the Mississippi State Board of Health. In its Information, the State and the Relators alleged, among other things, that no one of the defendants was nominated by the Mississippi State Medical Association for appointment, as required by Mississippi Code Annotated section 41-3-1 (1972), and further that no one of them was confirmed by the Mississippi State Senate as specifically required by section 41-3-1. This cause was stayed, pending a decision of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, on complaint filed in that court on March 14, 1977, by Doctors Clark, Mason and Middleton, *1048 and others, against the Mississippi State Medical Association. In May, 1978, an order was entered in that Court dismissing the suit filed by Doctor Clark, et al. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on December 7, 1978, affirmed in part and reversed in part the decision of the District Court but retained jurisdiction, pending a decision by the Circuit Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County of the constitutionality, under state law, of section 41-3-1. Honorable Rufus Creekmore of the Jackson, Mississippi bar was appointed as special judge to hear and decide this quo warranto proceeding. Judge Creekmore heard and considered this cause on the Amended Information in the Nature of Quo Warranto, the Amended Answer and Defenses of the Defendants, Relators' Response to Affirmative Matters, and the Joint Stipulation filed by the parties in this cause, and rendered his decision on February 21, 1979, finding: that Section 41-3-1 was constitutional; that Doctors Howard D. Clark, William A. Middleton, and Gilbert R. Mason were not nominated by the Mississippi State Medical Association nor were their appointments by the Governor "confirmed by the Senate" as required by statute; that, therefore, they should be removed from office, and that Doctors S. Lamar Bailey and G. Lamar Arrington continue to hold and exercise the functions of the public office of members of the Mississippi State Board of Health from the fourth and fifth public health districts of Mississippi, respectively, until there are valid and legal successors appointed to these offices. The public office of a member of the Mississippi State Board of Health from the sixth public health district of Mississippi was declared vacant because of the death of Dr. Joseph B. McKinnon. Defendants appeal from the judgment of the Circuit Court. Judge Creekmore rendered the following excellent opinion, which is adopted as the opinion of this Court: On the morning of January 16, 1979, the motion of defendants to dismiss came on to be heard before this court. All parties were in agreement that, on this hearing, the only issues to be considered were whether the challenged statute, on its face, is unconstitutional under state law, because: (a) It is unconstitutionally vague and indefinite. (b) It is an unconstitutional infringement upon the Governor's exclusive constitutional right of appointment (this ground was not alleged in the motion, but was briefed and argued). (c) It constitutes an unlawful delegation of legislative power to a private non-profit corporation. In approaching a consideration of these important questions, it may be well to mention certain fundamental principles, well settled by numerous decisions of our Supreme Court, which should guide the judiciary in construing and interpreting statutes, especially when their constitutionality is questioned. The primary rule of construction is to ascertain the intent of the legislature from the statute as a whole and from the language used therein. Where the statute is plain and unambiguous there is no room for construction, but where it is ambiguous the court, in determining the legislative intent, may look not only to the language used but also to its historical background, its subject matter, and the purposes and objects to be accomplished. Finally all presumptions and intendments must be indulged in favor of the validity of a statute, and its unconstitutionality must appear beyond a reasonable doubt before it will be declared invalid. The statute under attack is Section 41-3-1 of the Mississippi Code of 1972. That part which is here involved reads as follows: This section of the Code is a part of Chapter 3, Title 41, which is a comprehensive statute creating the State Board of Health, local health boards and offices, and setting forth their powers and duties. Except for minor changes, it has been an integral part of the Code since 1892. In 1914, our Supreme Court held that the statute creating these administrative agencies and endowing them with power to adopt ordinances, rules and regulations necessary to attain its objects and purposes was not a delegation of legislative power in violation of Section 33 of the State Constitution. Hawkins v. Hoye, 108 Miss. 282, 66 So. 741 (1914). Section 41-1-1 of Mississippi Code of 1972 reads as follows: Defendants say that this statute has the effect of causing the words "state medical association" as used in Section 41-3-1 to be so vague, uncertain and indefinite as to deny to them due process of law as guaranteed by Section 14 of our Constitution, because when these statutes are read together it is left uncertain as to whether they might possibly be considered members of the "state medical association" and so entitled to be nominated by that body and appointed by the governor. It is my opinion that these words of the statute, on their face, are not ambiguous, and need no construction; therefore that this ground of objection is not well taken and should be overruled. To support their claim that the statute unconstitutionally infringes upon the executive powers of the governor, the defendants refer to certain provisions of the Mississippi Constitution and certain statutes dealing with the powers of the Governor; and they cite three cases from other jurisdictions: McCarley v. Orr, 247 Ark. 109, 445 S.W.2d 65 (1969); Hetherington v. McHale, 458 Pa. 479, 329 A.2d 250 (1974); and Westlake v. Merritt, 85 Fla. 28, 95 So. 662 (1923). None of these cases are in point: McCarley turned upon a construction of the statute involved; the quotation from Hetherington is dictum taken from the opinion of a concurring judge; and in Westlake, the Florida Constitution expressly conferred upon the Governor the general power of appointing all non-elective officers. 38 Am.Jur.2d, Governor, § 5, says: Section 116 of our Constitution provides that "The chief executive power of this state shall be vested in a governor . .", and Section 123 provides that: "The governor shall see that the laws are faithfully executed." Neither of these sections expressly confers on the governor the broad appointive powers which are now claimed for him. Nor can a grant of such powers be implied therefrom. Colbert v. State, 86 Miss. 769, 39 So. 65 (1905); Henry v. State, 87 Miss. 1, 39 So. 856 (1905). Section 103 of our Constitution provides that: The only general power of appointment vested in the governor is that conferred upon him by legislative enactment, pursuant to the above quoted Section 103 of the Constitution. Thus Code Section 7-1-5(f) gives the governor the power to "make appointments and fill vacancies as prescribed by law", and Section 7-1-35 prescribes the details of making such appointments, all of which shall be "with the advice and consent of the senate." It is my opinion that the power here questioned is, by our Constitution, vested in the legislative department of government, and so the questioned statute does not encroach upon the governor's constitutional powers. Does the questioned statute constitute an unlawful delegation of power to a private, non-profit corporation? There appear to be no Mississippi cases on this precise point, although we do have many cases construing statutes whereby administrative agencies are created and broad powers conferred upon them, all designed to promote their efficient and effective operation. The broad general rule governing the validity, vel non, of such statutes is whether they prescribe reasonably adequate standards for the agency's guidance. Thus in State ex rel. Attorney General v. Land, 231 Miss. 529, 95 So. 2d 764, 96 So. 2d 828 (1957), Justice Ethridge said: Whether this same rule of a "reasonably adequate standard" should govern in the instant case is persuasive, but not necessarily controlling. On the precise issue before the Court, counsel for both sides have, with diligence and ability, presented and argued cases from other jurisdictions. They are in hopeless conflict. Apparently the majority, in number, adopt the view that such statutes are not invalid as unlawful delegations of legislative power, nor violative of other Constitutional restrictions. Thus, in 67 C.J.S. Officers § 36, it is said: In 63 Am.Jur.2d, Public Officers and Employees, § 93, it is said: And in 63 Am.Jur.2d, Public Officers and Employees, § 94, it is said: An elaborate annotation on the subject, wherein the cases both pro and con are analyzed and discussed will be found in 97 A.L.R.2d, page 361. It is my opinion that the statutory requirement for appointing members to be "regular qualified physicians of the state and members of the state medical association" is a reasonably adequate standard; also that there is a rational and substantial relationship between the state medical association and the State Board of Health; therefore, the statute does not unlawfully delegate legislative power; and so this ground of objection is not well taken and should be overruled. And finally it should be noted: The legislature, by this statute (§ 41-3-1), delegates to the state medical association the power of nomination; it delegates to the governor the power of appointment; but it reserves unto itself the power of confirmation, without which an appointee cannot legally hold the office. Mississippi Marine Conservation Commission et al. v. Misko, 347 So. 2d 355 (Miss. 1977). After Judge Creekmore's opinion and Final Judgment of February 21, 1979, was considered by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, that Court rendered its opinion specifically upholding the constitutionality of Section 41-3-1. Finch v. Mississippi State Medical Ass'n, Inc., 594 F.2d 163 (5th Cir.1979). That Court said: The Fifth Circuit then quoted from Friedman: The Fifth Circuit then concluded: For these reasons, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. AFFIRMED. PATTERSON, C.J., SMITH, P.J., and SUGG, WALKER, BROOM and BOWLING, JJ., concur. LEE and COFER, JJ., take no part.