Opinion ID: 1965617
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Attorney General's Original Action Jurisdiction

Text: ¶ 103. The majority opinion recognizes, as it must, that this court has for more than 125 years permitted the Attorney General to challenge the constitutionality of statutes in original actions in this court without specific statutory authority to bring the action to challenge the constitutionality of the statute. Majority op. ¶¶ 42, 45, n.22. See also Arlen C. Christenson, The State Attorney General, 1970 Wis. L. Rev. 298, 303 (noting that the question of the Attorney General's authority to bring an original action has been assumed); Jack Stark, The Wisconsin State Constitution: A Reference Guide (1998) at 132 (noting that the power to bring original actions is an example of this court expanding the powers of an Attorney General beyond a strict reading of the constitution). ¶ 104. Original action cases by the Attorney General challenging the constitutionality of statutes do not square with today's holding. The majority opinion shrugs these cases off by writing that the Attorney General's power to bring original actions appears to be an anomaly. Majority op. ¶ 44. Anomaly means deviation. But since the majority takes the position that the Attorney General is constitutionally prohibited from bringing actions or challenging the constitutionality of statutes unless the Attorney General has specific statutory authorization to do so (¶ 35), the majority opinion's allowing a deviation from this constitution-based rule is impermissible. Simply because this court has the power to accept or decline the Attorney General's petition for an original action does not mean that the agreement of four members of this court can permit what would otherwise be an unconstitutional exercise of authority by the Attorney General. ¶ 105. I believe that the original action cases are best understood as a subset of the great public concern line of cases. A brief review of several cases will demonstrate that original actions brought by the Attorney General are allowed only if the matter is important to the state as a whole. ¶ 106. In The Attorney General v. The City of Eau Claire, 37 Wis. 400 (1875), the Attorney General brought an original action to challenge the constitutionality of a statute delegating authority to the city of Eau Claire to obstruct a navigable river. In that case, remarkably similar to the one at bar, the court concluded that allowing a city to dam a navigable river violated the public trust and merited the granting of original jurisdiction. 37 Wis. at 446-47. See also Petition of Heil, 230 Wis. 428, 440, 284 N.W. 42 (1939) (obstruction of navigable river invokes supreme court's original jurisdiction). ¶ 107. In State ex rel. Attorney General v. Cunningham, 81 Wis. 440, 51 N.W. 724 (1892), the court considered an original action brought by the Attorney General against the secretary of state challenging the constitutionality of a statute in order to enforce Wisconsin citizens' equal representation in government. [T]he rights vindicated and protected from the prejudicial effect of an unconstitutional act of the legislature. . .were rights of sovereignty which the state in its political capacity held and was bound to guard and protect. . . . Cunningham, 81 Wis. at 500-501. The court analogized the right of equal representation to the rights discussed in City of Eau Claire, the right of citizens to have the public trust doctrine enforced and protected. Cunningham, 81 Wis. at 500-01. In State ex rel. Reynolds v. Zimmerman, 22 Wis. 2d 544, 552, 126 N.W.2d 551 (1964), the court similarly stated that it has consistently held that the state, acting either through the Governor or the Attorney General, may challenge the constitutionality of a state reapportionment plan. . . . [21] ¶ 108. These and other cases demonstrate that the court allows an original action to proceed when the matter is publici juris (of importance for the state as a whole). But there are criteria other than publici juris for this court granting leave to bring an original action: the need for speedy resolution is one; no adequate remedy in the circuit court or disputed facts are others. Petition of Heil, 230 Wis. at 440-41. Thus even if a matter is publici juris this court might not grant original jurisdiction if, for example, facts are in dispute. According to the majority decision, then, if the court would have granted the Attorney General leave to bring an original action in this case then the Attorney General might challenge the constitutionality of § 30.056. See majority op. ¶ 42, n.22. But since the facts are in dispute, as Oak Creek claims in this case, we would not take the original action and the majority opinion would bar the Attorney General from bringing the publici juris lawsuit in circuit court. If this court would refuse original jurisdiction and remand the case to the circuit court, the Attorney General would have express statutory power to appear. See Wis. Stat. § 165.25(1). If this court merely dismisses the petition for original action, under the majority opinion the Attorney General could not bring the suit. This jurisprudence makes no sense. Judicially created law should make sense. If it doesn't, the court should try again. ¶ 109. This court's continuing recognition of the power of the Attorney General for the past 125 years, cases preceding the 1908 Electric Railway case, 137 Wis. 179, see ¶¶ 84-85 above, cannot be squared with today's holding. These original action cases are not anomalies; they are sound precedent that this court should follow and hold that the Attorney General has standing to bring this action.