OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

Eonor6hle Starrsell Erpw3 Distriot Attorimg LBcrLenntm

County Waao, Texas

51.8 with tlon and

e Co5mloalanera

Faeoond Gallad fT'soslon

Of ~glsldnim, where suoh otba8wl upm popillatlon under sq on Au@W Zb, 1935, On the pulablaxl

of ml0 aounty, looording to the la& preueUing maeral Cansur~ protldod that the aoswlrsioner8 

### court0 Xn said countiae are sutharlzrd00 fir the Mximum ar111ua1 salary ror the balanoe OS the iSseaiionorabl.3 CtanoeliRryan, Pa@3 2

gear 1941 erter the el"feative .dato 5: this Act w the basis of the Federal Census of 1940 end thereaftereooordingto tho last precedingFederal Census; and declaringan saergenog.

"Seation 1. The Commisslonsre Courts la e3.l oountles of Texas having a population of not less than one hundred thousand (100.000) and not more than one hundred and ninety thousend (190,000)lnhabltentk, eaaordlngto the lest preoeding~Federa1 Census, in fixing the : annual salary that shall be paid an orrioer maxed ln 4Seotlon

13 or Chapter 465 or the .4ots of the Seoond Called tiseionof the Forty-fourth Legislature,

where suoh,orfloer's salary Is dets:mlnsd in oompllanoewith the laws whioh existed on August 2/+,

1935, aod 1s based upon populatlon, shall oomputs and rlx the salary or emoh or such oi:fiaerp

et the me&num e+mount rhloh oould have bsieaa paid eeoh of suoh offloers under the laws ex$atlng on August 24, 1935, aooordlngto the ~Federal

Census of 1910 and thereafter aoooralag to the last preaedlngFederal Osnsua,; provided the Commlssioner&

Courts in safd oountleaere authorizedto amend the present order of said Court rlxlng the zmiaum salary or said ofrloera Sor the fiscal year 1941 from and etter ths or‘-‘ rsothi 

### date or thirr Aot for the balanoe

### 0r 80fa fisqal year, aooor&ng to the Federal Census oi 1940, and themarter~ aoeordlng to the last preodlug Fqderal Cenqus.* 8eation 13 of ahapter 65, Aotb or the Seoond called S+oslon,l&h Legislature,rererred to in the Bill, appears as Artlale39120, 8eotion i.3, Vernon*8AnnotatedCivil Statutes, ana preaarlbssthst the nalarlestor oounty ofiioeynmay b~"not more than the maximum amount alloWed suoh oiiloer~ tidrr lawu axlating oa Auguet 24, 1935." . . Artlole 3891, Vernon'sAnnotatedCivil Statutes,aa amendad in 1935, flxea the niatium ccaupensatlon ror dlstrlot and oouuty orrloors et &,750.00 ln oountleshaving between 60,000 and 100,000 populationand et $5.500.00in countieshavingEcrmrsble ?ahsell Erpsn, Prt6e 3

between lCO,OCO end 150,000population.

In our CplnionHo. O-2582, aopy of which 1's enclosed herewith,wu held thct en Lncreaee in the populstlonot e county as ahonn by the 1940 census iron below to above 100,000populetlon did not ohange tha naxintum aala~ieswhioh might be paid to the dirrtrlct,

county and preoinct offloera of ouah aouuty a6 preaozibodty Zeation 13 of Articlo 39126.

The purgoae end effect of House Bill No. 1079 la to make applloebleto Ar~ticles 3891 and 39120, Vernon’s Amotated Civil Ytatutea,ahsnges fa the populationof aountles,as refl?otedby the 1940 and each aubsequantaensu6, uh1oh oone wlthia the 100,000 to 190,000populationbraaket. ye ere sware,oS ho prov!~sion

of the ytate or Federal Constitution6 which night be vloleted by this Act. Ye be.lieve the population

bmaakot 16 6ufflolently

broad and based upon e rea6oneblealae6ifioetlon so ES not to offend Artlole III, "aotion 56 ol'tha Texa6 Conetltution. Clark v. Pinley, 93 'ib~r. 171, 56 ?. 3. 343: C6Tinty of Bexer v. Tynan, 126 Tex. 223, 97 C. '5. (26) 467. In the lstter~uesethe aourt said:

lr* * * thle court reaognizrd that aubstentialdifferences in populationsol'eountie6 could be laade a ba6i6 of legislations fixing aompensetion of offioers, on the theory, * * + that the WQtik devolving upon an ofiiaer wee in 6otm degree proportionateto the population of th0 aounty. *
It 16, theretore, our opinion that Aouse Ml1 No. 1079 16 oon6titutianal. AppROVRRMJG~9, 1941 **(dgned)** Carald 0. I8666 All'CRNRY

-AL OF TEXAS YOU-6 Wry t2'd.y ATTCRNRY OESBRAI.

OF TEXAS

BY w6lt6r(?d

h6i6t6ilt WRK:SE3 APPSiOVED OFIhiON COMbfITITF. BY B.W.B. CKAIMAN