Opinion ID: 2515085
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Under Bulgo, a general law must apply uniformly.

Text: At the time of the lawsuit in Bulgo, Article VII, section 1 provided that: Each political subdivision shall have and exercise such powers as shall be conferred under general laws. Id. at 54, 430 P.2d at 324. The plaintiff in Bulgo argued that Act 47 of the Session Laws of 1967 was a special law because one of its provisions could not possibly apply to any county other than Maui. Id. at 57, 430 P.2d at 326. Act 47 provided, in relevant part: SECTION 1. Chapter 138 of the Revised Laws of Hawaii 1955 is amended by adding a new section as follows: Section 138-____. Special elections. If a person elected in a general election to the office of chairman of the board of supervisors of a county dies before January 2 following his election, the governor shall issue a proclamation within ten days after the occurrence of the death requiring special elections to be held to fill the vacancy so created. The proclamation shall provide that a primary election be held within sixty days after, but no sooner than forty-five days after, the occurrence of the death to nominate candidates for a general election to be held thirty days after the primary election. The governor shall issue a proclamation within ten days after the approval of this Act requiring special elections to be held if any person elected in the general election of 1966 to the office of chairman of the board of supervisors of a county died before January 2, 1967, and such proclamation shall provide that a primary election be held within sixty days after, but no sooner than forty-five days, after the approval of this Act to nominate candidates for a general election to be held thirty days after the primary election. In any case, the tenure of any holdover or temporary chairman then serving shall terminate when the successor chairman shall be so elected in a general election and qualified. If any special election is held in the county within one hundred and twenty days after, but no sooner than forty-five days, after the occurrence of the death or approval of this Act, as the case may be, then such special election shall be held in conjunction with the general election provided by this Act. ... SECTION 2. This Act shall apply to each county in the State unless a county adopts a charter which provides for succession of the office of chairman of the board of supervisors under the contingency covered by this Act. ... SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. 1967 Haw. Sess. Laws Act 47 at 34-35. The plaintiff in Bulgo challenged the following provision in Act 47: The governor shall issue a proclamation within ten days after the approval of this Act requiring special elections to be held if any person elected in the general election of 1966 to the office of chairman of the board of supervisors of a county died before January 2, 1967, and such proclamation shall provide that a primary election be held within sixty days after, but no sooner than forty-five days, after the approval of this Act to nominate candidates for a general election to be held thirty days after the primary election. Bulgo, 50 Haw. at 53, 430 P.2d at 323. As alleged by the plaintiff in Bulgo, and as observed by this court, [a]t the time of approval of the Act, the county of Maui was the only county in which the person elected as county chairman in the 1966 general election had died before January 2, 1967. Id. at 54, 430 P.2d at 324. In interpreting Article VII, section 1, this court determined that the constitutional language was not vague and that it required the legislature to confer powers upon the counties only by general laws. Id. at 58, 430 P.2d at 326. The determinative question was whether the provision constitutes a general law or a special law. Id. In the context of Article VII, section 1, this court defined general laws as laws which apply uniformly throughout all political subdivisions of the State. Id. The court noted, however, that a law may apply to less than all of the political subdivisions and still be a general law, if it applies uniformly to a class of political subdivisions, which, considering the purpose of the legislation, are distinguished by sufficiently significant characteristics to make them a class by themselves. Id.