Opinion ID: 1880247
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Effect of Statutory Amendment While Appeal Pending

Text: ¶ At the time of the circuit court's decision, SDCL 47-21-2 (1994) provided in part: Cooperatives may provide television service which includes multi-channel multipoint distribution systems, including those which utilize coaxial cable, and direct broadcast satellite service, and may provide programming to customers via a CATV system, as defined in § 9-35-16, in any municipality which does not have an operating CATV system. The circuit court held that the activities of Northern Electric and its wholly owned subsidiary, Northern Cable, violated this enactment by providing CATV service to the city of Pierpont. After judgment, the statute was amended to broaden the authorized activities for cooperatives. Cooperatives may be organized under this chapter for any lawful purpose except banking, securities, and insurance. Cooperatives proposing to provide local exchange telephone service in a rural telephone company's service area may do so only in compliance with the procedures contained in section 251(f) of the Communication Act of 1934, as amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. SDCL 47-21-2 (1997)(emphasis added). ¶ If, during an appeal, a statutory change is controlling, we see no virtue in remanding to the trial court to examine an enactment we are equally capable of interpreting. Illinois Indep. Tel. Ass'n v. Commerce Comm'n, 183 Ill.App.3d 220, 132 Ill. Dec. 154, 539 N.E.2d 717, 722 (1988)(citing Rios v. Jones, 63 Ill.2d 488, 348 N.E.2d 825, 828 (1976)); Haines Pipeline Const., Inc. v. MPC, 251 Mont. 422, 830 P.2d 1230, 1238 (1991), overruled on other grounds, Porter v. Galarneau, 275 Mont. 174, 911 P.2d 1143 (1996); State v. Board of Cty. Com'rs of Lyon Cty., 234 Kan. 732, 676 P.2d 134, 139 (1984); Day v. Child Support Enforce. Div., 272 Mont. 170, 900 P.2d 296, 300 (1995); Texas Cty. Irr. & Water Res. Ass'n v. Okl. Water Res. Bd., 803 P.2d 1119, 1122 (Okl. 1990). This principle applies whether the change was constitutional, judicial, or statutory. Thorpe v. Housing Auth. of the City of Durham, 393 U.S. 268, 282, 89 S.Ct. 518, 526, 21 L.Ed.2d 474, 484 (1969). Because SDCL 47-21-2 was amended to remove restrictions on electric cooperatives competing with CATV providers in municipalities, the circuit court's declaratory and injunctive relief contravenes South Dakota law as amended, and, accordingly, is reversed.