Opinion ID: 1655575
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Heading: Is Section 476.5 Unconstitutional?

Text: The company argues that section 476.5 as construed by the commission would violate the equal protection clauses of the federal and Iowa constitutions. U.S. Const. amend. XIV; Iowa Const. art. I, § 6. Our review of this constitutional issue is de novo. Bierkamp v. Rogers, 293 N.W.2d 577, 580 (Iowa 1980). The district court agreed with the company's contention that the statute arbitrarily places communications utilities and other utilities in separate classifications without any rational basis or reasonable relationship to legitimate state interests. We disagree. Where no fundamental right or suspect classification is implicated by a state statute, a court will apply a rational basis test to determine whether a legislative classification violates the equal protection clause. See Stracke v. City of Council Bluffs, 341 N.W.2d 731, 733-34 (Iowa 1983). A statute generally will survive scrutiny under the equal protection guarantee if a legislative classification or distinction rationally furthers a legitimate state purpose. Hooper v. Bernalillo County Assessor, ___ U.S. ___, ___, 105 Sup.Ct. 2862, 2866, 86 L.Ed.2d 487, 493 (1985); Seivert v. Resnick, 342 N.W.2d 484, 485 (Iowa 1984); State v. Wehde, 258 N.W.2d 347, 352 (Iowa 1977). We accord the statute a strong presumption of constitutionality. See State v. Books, 225 N.W.2d 322, 324 (Iowa 1975). A person challenging the constitutionality of a statute must carry the heavy burden of showing the absence of a rational basis for the classification. See State ex rel. Krupke v. Witkowski, 256 N.W.2d 216, 220 (Iowa 1977). We find in Iowa law and public policy promoting energy conservation the necessary rational basis for the distinction drawn in section 476.5 between preferential rates permitted for employees of communications utilities and rates for employees of other utilities. Iowa Code chapter 476 governing regulation of public utilities provides that the commission's jurisdiction includes programs designed to promote the use of energy conservation strategies, with the commission authorized to prescribe appropriate rates for any approved energy conservation program. Iowa Code §§ 476.1, .2 (1983). The consumption of gas and electricity, unlike the use of telephones, involves the depletion of nonrenewable energy resources. Preferential rates for gas and electric services may result in greater use and potentially greater waste of energy, while preferential rates for communications services would not have that adverse effect. The classification provided in section 476.5 is thus consistent with a salutary public purpose recognized by the legislatureconservation of non-renewable energy resources. The company has failed to demonstrate a lack of rational basis in the classification drawn by section 476.5 sufficient to sustain its equal protection challenge. We find that the statute as construed by the commission is not constitutionally infirm. Because we find no error of law in the commission's decision, we reverse the decision of the district court and reinstate the commission's decision. REVERSED.