Title: State v. DIVISION OF BOND FINANCE OF DEPT. OF GEN. SERV.

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

278 So. 2d 614 (1973)
STATE of Florida, Etc., Appellant,
v.
DIVISION OF BOND FINANCE OF the DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES, Etc., Appellee.
No. 43353.

Supreme Court of Florida.
May 30, 1973.
*615 Harry Morrison, State's Atty., for appellant.
Arnold L. Greenfield and Robert E. Niro, Tallahassee, for appellee.
ROBERTS, Acting Chief Justice.
This cause is before us on direct appeal from a final judgment of the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Circuit in and for Leon County, validating and confirming the issuance of State of Florida Full Faith and Credit Pollution Control Bonds, Series A, in the aggregate principal amount of not to exceed $58,900,000. We have jurisdiction by direct appeal pursuant to Article V, Section 3(b)(2), Florida Constitution, F.S.A.
After summarizing the evidence in a lengthy and well-reasoned order and after setting out in detail the compliance with constitutional and statutory provisions, the Circuit Court properly concluded as evidenced by the record before us that all requirements and provisions of the Constitution and laws of the State of Florida pertaining to proceedings in the above-entitled manner have been strictly followed, specifically including but without limitation the requirements and provisions of Article VII, Section 14 of the Florida Constitution.
This is a case of first impression seeking to validate State Full Faith and Credit Bonds issued pursuant to Article VII, Section 14, Florida Constitution, and Section 403.1834, Florida Statutes, F.S.A. There were no intervenors or objections from private citizens. Only the State Attorney sought to show cause why the bonds authorized should not be validated.
This proceeding is anchored to Article VII, Section 14, Florida Constitution, which was adopted in 1970 and which provides:
Section 403.1834, Florida Statutes, F.S.A. (Chapter 70-270, Laws of Florida) the required implementing statute to the aforecited constitutional provisions sets out the following procedures:
Against this background, appellant poses two objections to the validation of the bonds in question. These objections relate to the requirement of elections when pledging the full faith and credit of the State and of local political subdivisions. The essence of both points on appeal advanced by appellant is that Article VII, Sections 11(a) and 12(a), Florida Constitution, generally require a vote of the electors to pledge the full faith and credit of the State or of local political subdivisions.[1] Article VII, Section 14, Florida Constitution, being enacted subsequent to the enaction of Article VII, Section 11(a) and 12 (a), is a specific exception thereto. It is a fundamental rule of construction that, if possible, amendments to the Constitution should be construed so as to harmonize with other constitutional provisions, but if this cannot be done, the amendment being the last expression of the will of the people will prevail. An amendment to the Constitution, duly adopted, is the last expression of the will and intent of the law-making power and prior provisions inconsistent therewith or repugnant to the amendment are modified or superseded to the extent of inconsistency or repugnancy. Advisory Opinion to Governor, 152 Fla. 686, 12 So. 2d 876 (1943), Sylvester v. Tindall, 154 Fla. 663, 18 So. 2d 892 (1944), *618 Board of Public Instruction of Polk County v. Board of Commissioner's of Polk County, 58 Fla. 391, 50 So. 574, Jackson et al. v. Consolidated Government of City of Jacksonville, 225 So. 2d 497 (Fla. 1969).
Furthermore we note that all provisions of the Constitution bearing upon a particular subject matter are to be brought into view and to be so interpreted as to effectuate the great purpose of the instrument. A constitutional amendment becomes a part of the Constitution and must be construed in para materia with all of those portions of the Constitution which have a bearing on the same subject. Advisory Opinion to Governor, supra, Sylvester v. Tindall, supra, Lewis v. Florida State Board of Health, 143 So. 2d 867 (Fla.App. 1962).
Article VII, Section 14, modified Sections 11(a) and 12(a) (requiring a vote of electors) so as to create a special exception thereto. In Gray v. Golden, 89 So. 2d 785 (Fla. 1956) which involved a proposed constitutional amendment providing home rule for Dade County in local affairs, this Court opined that where an amendment limits or modifies other provisions of the Constitution, it does so only to the extent defined in the amendment, and that ". . such limitations are in harmony with constitutional amendments generally and except as to the `purpose' of the amendment, the parent provision continues in force." It is obvious that in adopting Article VII, Section 14, by a statewide election, the sovereign people of this State intended to provide an alternative method of financing state bonds without a referendum in certain particular instances. The people of this State created a specific exception to the requirement of an election in this type of bond validation proceeding.
An analagous situation was presented to this Court in State v. Division of Bond Finance of the Department of General Services, 246 So. 2d 102, which was also a case of first impression regarding the revision of the Florida Constitution permitting the state's credit to be pledged for highway bond issues without referendum. The constitutional provision therein involved was Article XII, Section 9(c) which provides in pertinent part:
In State v. Division of Bond Finance, supra, this Court explicated:
See also Platts et al. v. Division of Bond Finance, 1973, 275 So. 2d 231. We agree with the lower court's finding that:
Having carefully examined the record in this case, and it appearing that the trial court was correct in validating the bonds, his judgment is 
Affirmed.
ERVIN, ADKINS, BOYD and McCAIN, JJ., concur.
[1]  Article VII, Section 11(a), Florida Constitution, provides:

"State bonds; revenue bonds. 
(a) State bonds pledging the full faith and credit of the state may be issued only to finance or refinance the cost of state capital projects upon approval by a vote of the electors; provided state bonds issued pursuant to this subsection (a) may be refunded without a vote of the electors at a lower net average interest cost rate. The total outstanding principal of state bonds issued pursuant to this subsection (a) shall never exceed fifty per cent of the total tax revenues of the state for the two preceding fiscal years."
Section 12(a) provides:
"Local Bonds.  Counties, school districts, municipalities, special districts and local governmental bodies with taxing powers may issue bonds, certificates of indebtedness or any form of tax anticipation certificates, payable from ad valorem taxation and maturing more than twelve months after issuance only: (a) to finance or refinance capital projects authorized by law and only when approved by vote of the electors who are owners of freeholds therein not wholly exempt from taxation; .. ."