Opinion ID: 1429543
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: CDC Is a Legislative Body

Text: The Attorney General's challenge is based on the separation of powers doctrine. [3] The Arizona Constitution, written after generations of experience and experimentation under the United States Constitution, spells out the separation of powers doctrine even more specifically than does the national document. The Arizona Constitution contains a clause specifically dealing with the separation of powers and precluding any department of government from exercising the powers of any other department. Article III provides: The powers of the government of the State of Arizona shall be divided into three separate departments, the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judicial; and, except as provided in this Constitution, such departments shall be separate and distinct, and no one of such departments shall exercise the powers properly belonging to either of the others. Ariz. Const. art. III. The roles of each branch of government in Arizona are, therefore, separate and distinct. The legislature has the exclusive power to declare what the law shall be. State v. Prentiss, 163 Ariz. 81, 85, 786 P.2d 932, 936 (1990). In contrast, the executive branch's duty is to carry out the policies and purposes declared by the Legislature. See Pioneer Trust Co. v. Pima County, 168 Ariz. 61, 65, 811 P.2d 22, 26 (1991) (citing Lincoln Property Co. No. 41 v. Law, 45 Cal.App.3d 230, 119 Cal.Rptr. 292, 294 (1975)). As this court has previously had occasion to observe: Nowhere in the United States is this system of structured liberty [of separation of powers] more explicitly and firmly expressed than in Arizona. Mecham v. Gordon, 156 Ariz. 297, 300, 751 P.2d 957, 960 (1988). With these principles in mind, we examine A.R.S. § 41-401, as amended. In it, the Legislature declared the purpose and function of CDC. The purpose of the council is restoring, maintaining, and advancing the state's sovereignty and authority over issues that affect this state and the well-being of its citizens by taking any action it deems appropriate. A.R.S. § 41-401(B). Additionally, the council may initiate and pursue ... any action concerning a law, regulation, order, policy or decision of the United States ... that the council determines will further its purposes. A.R.S. § 41-401(F). [4] This court has emphasized that separation of power between the branches of government requires that those who make the law be different from those who execute and apply it. Matter of Walker, 153 Ariz. 307, 310, 736 P.2d 790, 793 (1987). Because Arizona's Constitution, unlike the United States Constitution, does not contain an appointments clause, a law is not invalid merely because the Legislature appoints some of the members of an executive committee. See Lockwood v. Jordan, 72 Ariz. 77, 85, 231 P.2d 428, 433 (1951). However, in determining whether the separation of powers doctrine has been violated, the court must evaluate whether the Legislature, through its appointments, has maintained control over an executive agency in violation of separation of powers. CDC is composed of three voting members and two advisory members: the voting members consist of the Governor or his designee, one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and one member appointed by the President of the Senate. A.R.S. § 41-401(A) (Supp.1996). The two advisory members are the Chairman of the House of Representatives' Committee on States' Rights and Mandates or its successor committee and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Reform or its successor committee. Id. No terms are set for the members of CDC, nor are there provisions for removal from office. Thus, the members serve at the pleasure of the person appointing them. This contrasts with other Arizona statutes which provide for gubernatorial appointment of executive or administrative officers or specify the term of appointment. See, e.g., A.R.S. § 41-511 (For the Arizona State Parks Board, the State Land Commissioner is an automatic member and the Governor appoints the other six members for six-year terms.); A.R.S. § 41-519.01 (For the Arizona Conservation Corps Commission, there are three designated members plus six members appointed by the Governor, who each serve three years.); A.R.S. § 45-102 (The Director of the Department of Water Resources shall be appointed by the Governor and serve at the pleasure of the Governor.); A.R.S. § 40-462(B) (The Governor shall appoint the Director of the Residential Utility Consumer Office.); A.R.S. § 40-463(B) (The Governor shall appoint all five members of the Residential Utility Consumer Board.); A.R.S. § 23-101(B) (The Governor shall appoint all five members of the Industrial Commission, who shall each serve for five years.). Clearly, the Legislature has maintained control of CDC. The Governor has a single appointment. The Legislature, acting through the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, appoints the controlling majority of the voting members, who serve at the pleasure of the appointing persons. In addition, two other legislators serve as advisory members of CDC. The only oversight provided for expenditures of CDC is by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, a legislative body. We conclude that CDC is a legislatively created and controlled body, and that it was intended to be such.