Case Name: The TRIBUNE COMPANY, Appellant, v. SCHOOL BOARD OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, etc., et al., Appellees
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1979-02-01
Citations: 367 So. 2d 627
Docket Number: No. 53493
Parties: The TRIBUNE COMPANY, Appellant, v. SCHOOL BOARD OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, etc., et al., Appellees.
Judges: ENGLAND, C. J., and OVERTON, SUNDBERG and HATCHETT, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 367
Pages: 627–630

Head Matter:
The TRIBUNE COMPANY, Appellant, v. SCHOOL BOARD OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, etc., et al., Appellees.
No. 53493.
Supreme Court of Florida.
Feb. 1, 1979.
W. S. Rodgers, Jr. and Ted R. Manry, III of Macfarlane, Ferguson, Allison & Kelly, Tampa, for appellant.
Cary R. Singletary of Yanger & Single-tary, and W. Crosby Few, Tampa, for appel-lees.

Opinion:
ALDERMAN, Justice.
This is an appeal from a final judgment of the Circuit Court of Hillsborough County, upholding the constitutionality of chap ter 69-1146, section 5, Laws of Florida, dealing with teacher disciplinary proceedings in Hillsborough County. The crucial language of this special act provides: "[T]he county board of public instruction shall conduct a public or private hearing at the option of the teacher charged on such charge or charges . . . ." The issues
to be decided are whether this language allows an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority and whether it creates a valid exception to section 286.011(1), Florida Statutes (1977), originally enacted in 1967 and commonly referred to as the "Sunshine Law" or the "Public Meetings Act." We hold that the act is constitutional and that it does create a valid exception to section 286.011(1).
The Tribune Company sued the School Board of Hillsborough County, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief and alleging that an agent of the Tribune had attempted to attend disciplinary hearings being conducted by the School Board but was barred under the authority of chapter 69-1146, section 5. The Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association was allowed to intervene. All parties stipulated that there were no factual disputes and that the trial court should treat the matter as coming before it for final judgment.
The trial court ruled in favor of the School Board and the Classroom Teachers Association and dismissed the Tribune's complaint. The court held that chapter 69-1146, section 5, does not constitute an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority and also concluded that it does create a valid exception to section 286.011(1), explaining:
Few would gainsay the tremendous good that can come from the Sunshine Act. The undersigned concurs wholeheartedly with its basic principle. But what it overlooks here is that in this case, the Legislature has established an exception thereto by supplementary act relating to a disciplinary hearing. This exception provision carries with it the presumption of constitutionality so often reexpressed as to need no citation of supporting authority. The fact that its wisdom is solely the domain of the Legislature is equally as well established.
We agree that there has been no invalid delegation of legislative authority. Under chapter 69-1146, section 5, the charged teacher neither makes law nor invokes it. Cf. Conner v. Joe Hatton, Inc., 216 So.2d 209 (Fla.1968). A dismissal hearing under this special act is instigated completely outside the power of the charged teacher. The law is effective without any affirmative act of the teacher. The teacher has only the clearly defined and limited option of an open or closed hearing after the matter has been set down for hearing.
Further, we find that chapter 69-1146, section 5, as the later legislative expression, is a valid legislative exception to section 286.011. It is not for us to pass upon the wisdom of this legislative exception. Holley v. Adams, 238 So.2d 401 (Fla.1970); Marston v. Gainesville Sun Publishing Co., 341 So.2d 783 (Fla. 1st DCA 1976), cert. denied, 352 So.2d 171 (Fla.1977). Rather, we are obliged to read the provisions of the general law together with the subsequent special act and harmonize them if possible, and if there is unresolvable conflict between the provisions, the later special act, as a more specific expression of the legislative will, will be given effect. Marston v. Gainesville Sun Publishing Co., supra; Beverly v. Division of Beverage of the Department of Business Regulation, 282 So.2d 657 (Fla. 1st DCA 1973).
Accordingly, we affirm the final judgment of the trial court.
It is so ordered.
ENGLAND, C. J., and OVERTON, SUNDBERG and HATCHETT, JJ., concur.
ADKINS, J., dissents with an opinion.
BOYD, J., dissents with an opinion.
. Chapter 69-1146 is a special act applicable only to Hillsborough County. Section 5 provides:
Before any teachers [sic] shall be discharged from his or her employment after the completion of a probationary period of employment by such teacher, charges in writing against such teacher specifying one or more of the causes specified in section 4, of this act, shall be filed by the county school superintendent of public instruction with the board of public instruction of said county and a copy thereof shall be served on such teacher with a notice of the time and place when a hearing upon such charge or charges will be held by the county board of public instruction of said county not less than ten (10) days prior to such hearing. At the time and place specified in such notice, the county board of public instruction shall conduct a public or private hearing at the option of the teacher charged on such charge or charges, at which hearing there shall be first presented the evidence in support of such charge or charges and thereafter the evidence on behalf of such teacher with respect thereto. At such hearing, the teacher shall have a right to be heard and represented by counsel.
. Section 286.011(1), Florida Statutes (1977), provides:
All meetings of any board or commission of any state agency or authority or of any agency or authority of any county, municipal corporation or any political subdivision, except as otherwise provided in the Constitution, at which official acts are to be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times, and no resolution, rule, regulation, or formal action shall be considered binding except as taken or made at such meeting.
There is no change in the language of this statute from its original enactment as chapter 67-356, Laws of Florida.