OFFICE OF THE 

Sonorabls Lo)1 A. Keith, ChaIrnun 

RallrorC Coxmissl:n cf Torr, lustIn, ToxQr 

” 

loll 80 to the eats 

of uffloe oxplre 

1040, teokr our opiaellt twari or traure 

am rtolted in 7cur 

flee of Rallroed Coamotion In lSS4 for the 

'A. II. X. .9plelltl, hari'ag 

bad bben appoint66 rha 

ge sIlllean Piorson sdada03 on Jaauor7 19, lQe6 ax 

I wal l r.oted to 

mvalibor eleotlon 

e on sanuar7 19, 

tona ln thb Porbaber 

Juafr .G. 6. Lettlaore edainirtrred 

fl& tin J6nuar7 lb, 1Qb5.g 

Theis woa emote4 b7 the Ls&rlaturo in 1959 (Aotr 

1939, 46th bg., p. 13tO Ch, 486, 0. 1) tbo followinC. statutr whlob rpware FM dclr 2929a in Vernon*8 Annotated Cl+il 

Otatotsrl 
I,,- Rononblo Lon A. 6mlth, Pa&r t 

*lrom and after tha l ffrotlvo drtr hereof the 

trrma of offlor of all ~.OtiVa 8tato and DirtriOt 

ofiicorr a4 the Stat0 of Toxa~), rxoeptin(l QovWnOr 9 

Llbutrnant Governor, xmbara of the Senate, and 

Yabrra of thr Houar of ReprWsrntatlvrs, rhall brgin on th8 lrt da7 of Januar Brxt followln(l thr 

Ooneral Eleotlon at whloh ra 1 d reepeotlvr 8tata and 

Dlrtrlot ofiloorr wore rleotod,g 

ma offlos or R8llrona Comalodonrr lr an rlootlrr 

Statr off100 rnd 18 not one of thr offlorr l x orp tby ed thm 

bxprear prorldonr of thlr AOt. Thrrsuml@r your 8uoooaaor 

18 authorlrrd to quallf7 for and aa8uma thr dutlor of the offloe on the Irt bay of JcLnuaq, lQU, at whioh tim), of . 

oourao, 7our right to hold the of floe longor would ooa8e. 

Seotion SO M ArtlOle Xl’Z of the COAatitUtiOll Or 

Tars8 &laratlteOr a 81X-7-l tO= t0 Railroad c~88t.OnOr8. 

:;t&ppesrr that 7ou puallfled on thr 15th da7 of JanUar7, 

ior t ha dx-yrar term to whloh 7ou were alooted at 

~ar&al rl*otlon of 1934, 

thr 

d 

Thua lr posed tha guestIon of shather thsra ia an7 

legal obstaola ti the applIOatIOn Of Art1010 29e9a, aUpra, 

under whloh atatuto your auoce88or ms7 000~~7 tha offior on 

the 18t da7 of Janu6r7, 1041, 

we rhall brlrrl7 revlaw the hirtory of the 0rri00 

Or h3llrCMId cOSId88iOnOr. 

In 1890 there wa& l do?tod 8rOtlOn t of ArtlOle I of 

thr Conrtltutlon, whloh raadr; 

rRaIlroaUr heretofora OOn8truOtOd or rhloh meiy 

herBafter be ooaetruotra in thla statr ara hereby 

drOlarad pub110 hIghUa78, and railroad ~oapet~Ie8, 

common oarrlers. The Lb&irbtUrO ehal par8 Lswr to 

ragulato railroad, freight and parrangbr tarlffr, to 

oornot abu@@n ana prevent un ust dI~orImInation and 

extortion in tha rater of fro i ght and paraangbr tarItfr on tha diffarant railroad8 S 

f 

thi8 St&o and onforpI the 8ama bf adopttat ponalt 08) and to tha further 

l OOOBlpliBhYi6nt ~Of thO8r objrotr and pUrpO808, IM 

vlda and eatabllth all requisite &aana and aganc I 

pl-O06 

Invested with suoh prmerr 68 ma7 ba dseml adequate 

and adrIaabla,w 
706 

Honorabla Lon A. Snith, Pee. 5 

Furruant tharrto, the E&d Laglrlaturt in 1691 

croatad the Railroad CoaIaaIon (Oantral Lawr. Vol. 10. 9. 

s.ct1on 1 of thr AOt providing 88 r0llowh 

-B. it enact.4 by tb Ls&!i$latulv of th. State 

of Texar: Thet a Ral&otd Cctudbtlon it barab7 

oraatbd, to be oompottd of three parsons to br l 

fl 

- 

pOl(I3t.d by th. OOVtrlWX, 08 iOiiW8t ff the Lag Ilatura be then in ttatlon the Wrarnor ahall, upon 

the taking tffaot of thla act, or ea 8oon thereafter 

aa praotlaabl., b7 and with th. adrlo. of thr Ssnat., 

if th. Ltgirlaturt then be In arsalon appoint aald 

CoiaEi88IOn.raj but if th. L.glslaturt b. not in #.I)- 

olon, thr Covomor ahall m&r 8uoh l ppoIntm.nt8, and 

l aoh COmm!a&Io~~r 10 appointad rhall hold hIr orflce. 

until the ttoond Kofor?bay after tba Inauguration of th. 

naxt auccaedinC) OovbMor end until hlo tucott8or 18 

appolnt .6 and qu4lIr~ad. Xeoh 8UOOttding Oo*trnor 

ahall on the troond YonCey artar hit ineuPmmtlon, 

or ba .oon fhartaftar aa praotloabl., appoint ml& 

c0ml88Ionar8, rho ahsll taoh hold hla orrice until 

the acoon ~onds7 artar th. Inauguration oi tha next 

euooetdinp, oovtmor and uotll hlr auooe6sot Is appointed anil ~utairiee.~ 

The fortgolne rtatutory rm?vIaIons revriaed Ia the 

l ta tda s Or Sexa5 iAnti1 1926, attrr W!ii.h ArtiO.1. 6447 read: 

*Tim Railroad Cca6leaI~ of Tbxaa shall br comgo864 of three (S) mambtre, on6 of who6 ahall ba 

aleot.4 bi-mnlall7 attaoh conare election for th. 

tbn or 81x part.* 

In tb. 7.8r 1894, hmavar, tharr X88 8dOpt.d 8.0. 

tlon a0 of Article XYI of the Constitution of Tent which 

mad8 aa r0iim6: 

vtr duration or all 02fIcor not tlxml b7 thla 

Coartltutlon rhell n.vtr txoeed two years; prcvlded, 

that .whtn a Ballroad Comfssicn la created by law 1 t 

thall be ooepooed of thra. Comaairsloabre who shell b. 

altotad by the people at a Ccmtral election fOC State 

orfltxrb, and thblr tens 0r 0rri0b shall be Jx parri 

c 
707 

Ronorabla Len A. Wth, Page 4 

provided Railroad CommIarlonera f lrrt tloctod 

after da 856ndmant goes Into tffaot rhall hold 

orriot $8 fOiiOW8: one rh.al 1 *aCta two yaert , an4 

one four part, and one air yeare; thalr ttma to 

bt 4aol4td by lot lmmsdlett~y tit&T they l hall hare 

quel~fl*d. And ona Railroad CosmireIoAer rhll be 

elected every two gear8 tharaortbr; In cost of taorno In aaid 0rri0t tha Governor 0r tha stbte 811811 

fill raid racanoy by appointment until tba next gtnoral l laotIoA. * 

Furruant to t?Iia OonstitutioAal pmvitlon, John R. 

Reagan, L. L. Storty, und AllieoA ~ie~fleld wera altottd Rallroad Commlsrlonerb et the general alaotlon In 1890. It lr 

recorded in the of riolal t laotion rtglrter that tJllson keyfield qualified for tbt orfioa on the 5th bay or Januer7, 

1097, and that John 8. lieegen end L. L. ttOT6p ?&alIfIed on 

the 17th da7 of January, 2837. 

Th8 hlrtory of rubaapuBAt qualifioationr for the offICe rtrtalt that there haa been no day otrtala upon which the 

Coptaisdoatrr hart qurlifiad; the dstt har bean terlsblr arter 

‘the lrt da 

about the I 

of Smuery, followl~g, the general tleotlca, usually 

Gth, the letrst, agerontly, bel~g upon the 2lst 

t6y Or &~AUU~J. 

At the tlaa the Iirnt thme elected Comalrrlcnrra 

wtrt tloctad and pualifltd, the rtatutsr were alltat rtlatlot 

to the t~aot~rt offiob of Railroad Comrdr8ioAtr. There wa6 

oal7 Snotlon SC 0r Art1018 TVZ of the Cunatltutlon. 

Horeowr, Artltlr 1957, 19&B, end 17S9 of the Rtvlaad 

Statuttt or 1895 (proriding for l laotloa rbtupts, for tht 

ing end oouotIA~ or raturns by th8 sscrctary cf St&t, end 

openror the d~11vsr7 0r 00rtirioatt6 br altotlon by the Govamior 

oA the fortiath dsy after the general eltotioA) did Aot lnoluet tbe orrloe ol kall.rca& Cosmlarlaner in the enumeration of 

St%te officer to which the ttetUtt8 wsra l pplloablt. 

.*m P5th &&shturo in 1697 (rrubsequant to the taking 

or ofrloe by tha Efrat eltotte Rellroad Cozuclselonert) amtn484 

Art1018 1957 to in0iuet tbo stat8 orriot of Railroad Co5anIeeIoner. 
Ronorablr Len A. smith, logo 3 

m8r4rorr rtth4 in04gtloa or tk4 4104tir4 orri0r 

of Rallrosd Conaalrr~mrr thora oxlrtrb only thr provirlon 

in 6eotlon 50 0r Artlole xvx or the conrtltution thtt th4 

?b t l lOOtOa R8iirOd cOd88iOn8r8 8hOUld h8~8 8tSe68r4d 

t8l.Q8 O? tUf0, ?GUr, Lti 81X yOPI8, SKld t&t 8Ub88qU8ntly 

8hOtOa biirOSb cOIWIhriOZi4r8 8hOUiQ h8V8 t8m8 Of 81X 

y8W8. Neither the COn8titUtiOll nOl- th8 4t8tUt48 8X~UO881y 

64t4tain9d 8ither UhOIl tbe Ori&intIl 8tA688rOd t8WE OO!lUii8lJO4d 

Or WhSn th8 8Ubs4$Uent 01X-y4Sr t8lTl8 W8r8 t0 Cm8n.O.. 

Th8 SdOptiOil Of ,CtOtIGn 30 C? ;.rtIOl8 =I O? the 

COnstftUtiOll 8brQc8t86 th8 8p?OilltiV4 COllEfd48100 pZWid4a for 

by the LlgidetUr8 in lE91 pur-S-t to S8OtiOn 2 of Art1014 

I O? th4 COn8titUtiOll. Thi8 n8C46Strily wa8 OG!Uul8umted at 

th4 n4xt "g4neT4l 8hOti3n ?Or St4te Q??IC8r8", 8W!%8 b41Y.@ 

th4 Eonnsral 814ctlcn In Novrmber, 1896. 

Ill OOll84l-#8nO8 the thre8 &?IIlrO8d COloei881On4r4 

olrotea rt the Eener81 ri4ctlon in 1896 oould hrvr thrr8upon 

qU4lifi4d tar 4lld 444UlWd th8 dUti84 Of th8 O??iO88. Obrit?U~~ the tppOintiV8 COnr;'-881Cn4r8 tier4 LCt 4lltit.146 t0 lOm4r 

hold thbir Office8 buOaus8 they Wre 4~p8rceded Undrr S8OtiOll 

‘SO O? Arti XVI Of th8 CLnatitUtiOn by th8 el.CtOd OffiOOr8. 

To oonsfdsr otherdse would reach a result contrary to Section 

&~d this by force c? hn act c-f t?.e 22:nyi LoCislature in 

. 

Thr g4n4ral rule oler the UnItod Stat88, prouliarly 

oppliccble in thir iE8tanCe, 18 thtt rhtr8 110 tilll8 ?Orthe 

008c4nOoment O? 8 tars3 O? OfflC8 i@ ?iXsd by th8 Co~8titUtfOn 

or by rtatutt, lluoh term comisanO88 rrm th8 CSt8 0r 4n rleotioa or rrom the logal 4804rt8lnm4nt or thr rrsult8 0r the 

414otion. 22 k* c. L., 6 251; RO A. L. Il. 1290; 46 COr. JUT. 

955, 6 104; Whitmy 1. Patriok, 64 iii80. 191, 120 1. I. SUpp. 

560. 

In ruoh 0888 It slay not be htld thet the term OWIfiOlIQ48 at th4 t1w O? pU4lifiOetiOn for th8 O??ICC. ThI8 ?Or 

the obvious roSson tb8t ir it uerb so an orrforr would bo on8blod tO.,bnhr$8 upcn the terIQ Of hi8 pr8d8048SOr without reducing his own, in virtue a? hi8 preCeco88or*8 holdI% otor, 

by the ex 

or, 8hOUl r 

dlent of dolsyi~ thr ti54 o? hi8 qutiifiCatiOii, 

h8 b8 hi8 OM tUOO488or, 45ler&8 UpoIl hi8 iX48at 

term by pOctpOnillp th4 dAt8 Oi his C.U8ii?htiOU for hi8 8UOcsoding term. 508 Jowttt v. !;oC!cnnoll, 112 irk, 291, 165 6. 

G. 954. 
ROnOr8bl8 LOQ A. bdttt:, 

88OtiOIl 19 Of 

adO8 1 

h&8 b 

Art1018 XVI O? the C4ll8titUtiOlh 9r~- 

*Aal Offi44T8 uithia thir 8tet.4 8hal1 4oBtiau4 

to perform tbo dutler oi tholr orri044 untli thrlr 

euooo88or3 #hall b8 duly qulliflod." 

TG the 48P4 OffOOt 18 Arti u Of th8 ROri84d 

Cl111 Btatuteb OS Terarr 

"Z8Oh orricer,whtthor ti4ct8a or t~pOint8d urldor 

th4 law8 O? thifi Stat8 . . . 8b311 kOk3 hi8 Offi 

for tbo tern provided by 16~ and until hi8 0UoO488or 

18 4140tea or tppointrd and qU8iifi4d. . . .- 

Thr conoluslon la reaCh44, thersfore, th8t the.t6mr 

0s 0rri04 0s th8 flr8t Willroad cOItiOi8tiOnOr8 rlrotsd purruant 

t0 SOQtlOn so Of Arti xn Of th4 cOB8titUtiOB’Of POX88 OOIEm8aood at thr tin8 o? thrlr dOOtiOB, 8nd thir rOg4rdl484 of 

WhOn tb4y qUdi?iCib $0~ an& 888~tXOd tbo dUti48 Of th4 O??iCI48. 

Th4 ti4t three 4iOOtOa COlU6i88iO~Or8 W82'4 @lSX'Wit486 

vT48p40tit4 tOTI Or tW0 iOUr, 8ne 8iX y48r8 88 d46idtd by 

lot; eucc44dlng C~tdsslontr8 wore gusrante*d tit-yaar terci8. 

It he8 beon ee~t~r46 by the Supraee Court 0s fern8 

that -th4 te&it~tIUO la 'without power to eboli8h OOn8titutional 

OffiC48, Or t0 8kGrt8n t4A8 Of G??iCO, WhlOh 8~4 riX4d by th4 

Con8tltutlon." Couell 1. Ayers, 1X T8X. 346. Thsro 14, how4?8f, no 4On8titUtiOM1 objeOflOn tc a legl8latlr4 regulation 

0s th4 oomamraa4mmt 0s tOhb8 0s 0rri04 provided the result 1s 

not t0 8hOrtOlJ 4 4Olr8titUt;Oll81, tom. 

68 boforr aantlimod, the 2btb Legie&turo in 1099 

amended mtlolr 1969 0s the Rerlsed atatutm Of U95 to :tnoludr 

th4 0rri04 0s 1~0llroad cormol4sIoner, whorotor on tba fortieth 

dny after thr goneral eleotlon tha Governor dellverrd orrtltleater 0s 414otlon to the nesly deotad Railroad COxnl88lon4r8, 

04 ~011 88 to otbrr ofSlcrr8. Tier the dootrlne reoogalt4d in 

th4 0884$'0? Tom T. ni,pper, 192 s. K. 72). (writ 0s error refU84d) , stezpt f. Tittle, 169 S. 8. 996 (CiV. App.) and Hanilton v, stst.4, 61 E. x. 219 (GOWt Of CrihLMl. APpOtit), eubarquent term8 0s 0rZi04 0s Railr~ab GOXVai48iO?lOr8, tna other otfiOUr8, o0wn4nced on th4 fortieth day rfter the general oleot$bni4ths tf58 wbm the el8Ot8d titlorr could qdiry for the 

. 
710 

Boaorablo Lon A. smith, Pa20 7 

It was bold by this Mprrtmsnt in en o~lnlon to 

Ld Cd881~0r J. 9. Xslko? UndSr bats Or CSOSPlbOr 1, 

lea4 (Lottsr Opinions, vol. 374, 0. 461) thet thr term o? 

ru0h off108 oomunord on the Sortleth dry sitor the ~ononl 

slsotion. Likorlso et to Dlstrlot Judges u&or 68te o? January @, 1937 (Lottsr oplnlons, Vol. 374, p. 99s). Esoh o? 

these oylnlons was rendered prior to tho eluotmuit of Art.1010 

2929s. 

The 8ffnOt G? ruklng th0 forty-day provl6lOn spplloablo to the off100 0r Asilrocd Comdssloasr we8 IkGt 8 shortsnlrrg o? tho terms. Rother, it aff6rcod the incumbents tholr 

?til tome en4 t tenure in nxcsss 0r tho term had they qusllfled when their torn8 oommsncod. 

It may bo obserrod thRt 6 -t.zre. c? ofiloo” 1s the 

tlmo during wblob, b 

or appoint06 0rrioia 1 

law, BII office may bo held by an olootsd 

; 8 *tonur* of 0fri08- is tne tlrdo during 

wtloh ID. 0frioiai riotuelly ssrfos, Ths tlmo 0r oath loa not 

oolnoldo . For oraxplo , en offloor map dolay his qurllf f oatlon 

and thtrobg etortsa his tsnurs in tlrtuo G? tbc Srot tbat tie 

-tom had oG=snood et tho time rhon ho 00~16 bars ~uallfled. 

Or, an of?loor play qualify &en his term co~onoss end hold 

over beyond tho oxplratlGn of hlr term until his euccsssor do08 

0: amy :uell?y, ln rhioh osaa MS tonurs sxossde his term. 

alrslonorr 

The tortia of tbo first three olootod Rall.r~;~tt~;;- 

oom~enos4 rt the tins c? tholr 0loctlGn. e 

lng rrom the noted nmsndsnont to hrtlols 19b7, Rsrlsod Statutes o? 1895, by the 25th Lcgiulbturs ln 1897, subsoquont 

tortis of the offlco oom6enOsd on the ?ortloth bay sitor the 

eonera l lsotion. fa oonsoqusnos of Art1018 29298, ennoted 

by the 45th Lo&lslaturs ln 1937, tho tens o? subssquont Rsllread Commlsslcnors begin on the first day OS Jsnwry foll6wlng 

tbo general olootlon. 

Xn no ooze has tho oonotltutional tone baon r%rten06. Tho f eot that bUCO0680XC lr t&o oiflco boeo 0Gaslstontly 

delayed their tlms o? qusllfloatlon does not gainsay tho oommenconent’of tholr tome prior thereto. custoai osnnot alter 

that whloh is, by law, otherwise. 

you are thorofors, respsot?uZl 

the Gplnion o? this Doprrtment that Art10 f 

adrlssd that it 1s 

8 Z929e, suprs, nay 

be oonstltutlolurlly applied tc the otfloo o? Railroad Colsaisslonor end dstormlws when your wlecoBscr say quality for and 
73.l 

Bonorabl@ LOII A. aah, page 8 

i 

888~ th8 duti08 0s tb0 0rri08. This is on tbr lrt 4 of 

Januaw, 1941. xi ana when such 18 done, wbstbor 00 th 7 8 

date or lstor, your rlgbt to hold the o??los longer tborsupon 08~888. 

Yours very truly 

ATTGRREY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

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ZCSsBBB 

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APPROVECDEC