# ._. ssa

OFFICE OF.THE A-ITORNEY GENERAL OF **TEXAS** AUSTIN

,

i ’ 5 Uoriorable 24. 01 Flawem saorataryof State Bustin,Texss ., Dear hfr.

lf?.WQI’S,

4.,

&&ion 14 of tha Con&ttall. wli retqw3a to the Gioverxior

with his,

objects, (..%sll&ays em9ptcd), art&r it g&~.+.um%een presentedto him vbila the legislatorsf5 in session,becomes a lawr Wers ti bill is filed a-it& the Secretary Op 9tat.e tier 8iich

olrausiBbn0a8(tiat is, Constituticn,krtiole 4, Ss@im 14) ad the bill containsan emargonc;r clauas a r!3y,izCri?3

2/s -rate

aooa tha provedby the

'oil f beam?8 OffoOt3.~0,(a) on the date it 1s Piled in~ths of?pice of the Liaoretary

of St&a) or (b) on the expirstion of 10 days (Sun&aysexcepted)after thelionorabla X. 0. Flowers - page 2

bill is presentedto the Wvernor? *As an cxanple,please 888 volume 1 of tho Act& of tlie

46th Legislaturepage QQ where Chapter t3,

11. 5. 604 containsau emergoncy clause and carries un page 102 t&e f’ol1owlng lnfomation:

*Filedwitheut the C0vernors* signature,ILay

3, 1931. Effective ImY 9, 1931.' *BrSefZy, how was it determinedthat this net beoam9 effootivehay 0, 1930 und0r tho oirrumstanoee?*

That portion of Section 14, Article IV, of the Constitution

pertinertto your inquiry is as followsg

, 'If any bill oball not be returnedby

the GoveHUm with-hi5 objection&i within ten days (Sunday5OxCepted)after it shall have been presentedto him, the sam 5h5ll be a law in lihe manner a5 if be had signud it, unSess the Legislatum, by its aifjourmeet, prevent Its return, in which case it 5hallbe a Saw, unZese he ahall file the eme vith his objections,In the offloe of the 3acretaryof State and p;Lve notice thereofby pYbli0 pFoclamationwithin twenty days aftar suoh adjournment,5
In th0 nnttor 0f esorcisingthe veto power, the Oovernoris excroisinga legislativefunction,and not an otecativo~

funotion. Fulmora Y. Lane, MO S. \i'. 405, loR2. From this it follows the approval of the Governor, or his failure to disapprove in the manner prorLrh& by the Constitutlon-- hia officialaction -- is an e55entialpart of the lsL;islct~ve function to enact a law. Section 39, hrtlclo III, of tlla Constitution

dsc1arcet
"No lau lassedby the Lqislature, cxcoitt the general approlfiiation Aot,aonorabla L;. 0. Flowers - page 3

ihan Ann

l ;rjrgencyaclt

wet hais the approval or ihll tioverncr,

or t&w3 must be shown the Cailure of tLl2 L-;;VertOr

to r.?turn

tr. ,e same within the t&me required $3; th Constitution

with hfe objectlonetheretobefore t113 snm3 becom0s effootivs aa finichd legi.&?latfon.

Xlon an enorgancy sot has boon ayprovodby the ;overnor,

or VilCll ho h&8 net aoted fn Guch a :rrJ xlth rOSi9Ct

GO t,ha bill in hio ban&~ a~ tC **;trOVT!Et it6**  **‘ &COTS**  in,; effective,the 0merSonoywt does become e?footive, $ut of course its eff,xt*vodate is k?rorn and after fts ~XLssafip

. $g &vz sef?n

",ilxr; 2 wrt r2 the essentialpasxi;;0 of an net in the action of the tiwmnor fn the way proscribed

by the Constituticn.
In the case you put f.t folloae from uhat wo have k&ii that tkc es2rge~nc.y act becow effeativeon the expira- ) tiouof ten ctc;l's (Sunt%y& exct?Ftec?) after the bill had been prrescctad

to the tiovorncr. I
mrth2r rcIJlyPnl; tc your 

### midemil Inquiry as to *how it cus c:ctormine& that thio **Act (mZ,**  **6, II.**  **Be BoBI**  Bcte46th Log. reg. ser-s.) ;t.cca;;lo cffectlvebay 9, 1939, .Wnlcr

the clrcumstencns,~ wd cannot unswor, exoept upon tIia fam,Lliarruleof presl,uhptfon f oPfJ.cial

rsgularity. 3. is, Bo. 8oQ yas pws& by the I:nuee April 13, $939,by f vote of 119 yeas, no naya: by **tR3** Senate April 24, 1930,

e * Sy a vote of 29 yeas, no nays. It bears the ondoroement 5 Pileii~

without the tiovernor*a aiqnaturebay 3, 1939, effeotLv3my 9, 103s. The r&ate upon abiob the bill wae present3cI to the liovernor

i.6 not s&own. Lresu.m‘,tl.aely, the ten iays (c~clucling

Sundays) nllo~eci.

by the oovernor under the Constitution

to Ilo& and cnnsiaor the ti2?.CUPC, ex@rc%i on by E, 1930, in which wont tbc act would become ePfoctivsaC;rOEI ard. after its paseap,ev, vbich would buve 9, 1939. '5 ,_

vary truly yours been Jlny

J Ocio Speer Assistnnt