OFFICE OF THE A?TORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Bonorable Martelle NoDonald 

Dlatrlot Attorney 

Big Spring, Texar 

Dear Pit: OplnlQn MO. 04l62 

Rer I%mnsti 

your rmquost as follw~~r 

eountloa in t&l8 Rta8e 

Qourt ln euoh oountiea im hereby au8horltmd to 

allow qaah Cosmlasbmr and County Tudgr the Itam 

.0r Fifty Dollar6 ($50) par month ror traveling 

e~pmmas when bravelfng in the disoharge of h-i@ 

oftlolsl dutlea." 
Ifanorable kduxtslle LloDonala, Pam 2 

Mwtln County, aocrordlag to the laet prsoodlng 

pe&rel OeMU8 of 1940 has 5,556 Inhabltantm, an4 la the 

as~ly oaunty in Texa8 ooalng~withln the populattin brwsbta 

0r not la88 than 5,500 sna not mm than 5,575 inhabitan$a. 

Croakett County, aosor4lng to the la88 preceding 

tederel oennue of 1940 has 2,8W fnhabitento, and is t&e 

only county~ in Teaes oomfng rrltbln the population tgaoket8 

or not 1088 then 2,ga5 srd not mcrre than 2,900 inhabitants. 

The que8tioa erleos aa to whether or not thla 18 

a loo91 or ape0101 acrt~ sttwkptlng to regulate ,tba affair8 

Of OOlJZltieS il3 ViOlOtiOu Of &tiOlb 3, 3eOtiOn 56 O? th8 

Conrtltu8lon at Taxas. 

.Ghbr Justloe Nealon, wr1tlrI 

$ 

the opinion af the 

Couxe of Civil Appeal* in the oeee of, :oml v8. k?8rfs Bdopendea8 Roheol Dlstriot, 123 f;. FT. (2) 4251 had the iollawlng to my: 

"I&J teke judi$lal atit%ae that m other eoun~y 

la Texa8 har.tho qu8lliloatlonr or area an4 population 4ema4e4 by the mtetute. . . IO 18 8urtL . 

olant to nay here thet when we &bolt to the prrdtigal operation of the aot, we are lad to the o~naludon that baron& 4oub$ it ww the purpose of tbo 

hgLdatur* to ~&II& out PreDl4fO County an4 m9ka 

the l ot applloablo to that alo!M. BeXW 

county t. Tyuan, lZ# ?oz. 223 6. W. 28 467. 

Yor that reamin the aot 18 set an4 om 

~Jslab iti woe bsyuu.4 pcwar ot the lagimlaturs to 

.lUNt. Vernon'8 Ann. Clri St. Per88 0on8~itutianr 

m. 3, 8~0. 56; Brwnfiol.6 t. Tongrte, Tar. Cit. 

109 E. 1c. 2& 352; City Of Ft. Worth v. Bob- 

%? 2.x Con. App., 36 8. W. 26 4703 Wltter Y. 

E.at; lb: Clr. App., 65 6, if. 24 434f Auatiu Bm38. 

V. Patton, Ter. Corn.. kpp., 268 3. Y!. 182; mlth 'P. 

t!tata, 120 Tax. Cr. R. 431, 49 2. 8'. 24 739." 

Phi8 department hd4 in opinion Ro. O-16 that Artiolea 2372-l and 522lb-23, Tcsvired C%Tkl f%atutea Of %X88, 

1925, the formar being .applioabh W oountie8 having a POpulagion op not le8a than 48,900 an4 n* m*m than 491000, an4 

the latter applyi- to oountIe8 with a population Of DO* l*a* 

aan 48,900, ma not more than ~3,975, en4 oountibr with a 
Honerabls &dartells LloDonald, gags 3 

popuhtion or not lea8 than 10,370 ana not &0r8 than 10,380, 

acooralng to the loot pmotrdlng E'8dsral oonau8, wore ~IIOOB6ti~utionel end void 80 apocial lern under Footion 56, A&l.. 

018 3 ot the '?tote Constitution, oitlng the oe8e of the City 

oi Fort ':orth ve. Sobbitt, 36 '. ':'. 26 470. 

This depertmmt held In ODiniOn Xo. 0499 that 

ROUS8 Bill 866 Or ch8 66th L8gfSJlUttUO Or TOJB(I, pTOViahg 

r0r tr8veling 8xpen888 or souaty c0~~4i08~0~r6 or 06imi88 

bring a populstlon ot~mt 1888 than 22,100 aad not PCW than 

22,500, aooordlng to the last Oreceding H8d8ral 08118~. wa8 

unoonetitutloml in that lt was a looal end 8pooial law attmptlng to.rogulats ths arfalr8 Or tho OOUU~Y, end r811 wlthIn the prohibition or rootion 56 of &Mole 3 or the coastitu6f66 Of TeX8d. 

Thi8 department held in opinion lo. o-1984 that 

Rourra Bill 876, 16th Legislature and House Bill 1122, 45th 

Lqgi6l8tur8, wore unao~tlbutlonal 8aa v0fa in that the 8am 

vmre looal and TWAIN law8 stt8mptlng to rogulrta the etfaIra of a county rnd fell dthia the p~hlblti~ or !%otlou 

56 or Artids 3 or th8 Oonatitutiion or thi8 State. Thora 

Bill8 applied ouly to ttontgomory County, Terns. 

Thin aspmtmont ho8 held a large mxber at 8imllar 

aat6 to b8 unooll8tltatloll8l on the (proud8 rbw8 8tma. 

iY@b~~ MOlOE~g bCIZ8With 06pia8 Of opitiO68 x06. 0?19%5 66d 

. 

Th8rMor8, you aro reopeotiull~ advired that it 

i8 the opinion OS this departwmt th6t Bow6 Bill 7U of the 

47th LOgi8li!&ul’8 Of ‘for06 f8 UIiOOm3titUtiOU8~ 66 ViOlatiVO 

or motion 56 of ~rtiolo 3 of tha Coxmtltubian ot Toxar ia 

Ohst 66id AOt 6tt8UiDtl.l t0 r6gUlOtO th8 Off8ir8 Oi 6WUti.S 

by loos1 and sp~olal hW.