Opinion ID: 1716385
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Intent of Drafters

Text: Each of the two opposing constructions advanced may with equal reason be considered as reflecting the functional intent of the literal wording of the provisions; both opposing interpretations are included within the ordinary meaning of the language used. With regard to the limited issue before us, therefore, the intent of the constitution's drafters is not clearly reflected by the actual wording of the provision. Under this circumstance, it is appropriate for us to refer to the documents and debates of the constitutional convention to determine the legislative (constitutional) intent of the delegates to the convention who drafted the provision which was subsequently ratified by the people. 2A Sutherland, Statutes and Statutory Interpretation, Sections 45.05, 45.09, and 45.13 (4th (Sands) ed., 1973): The provision, as drafted, clearly reflects a constitutional intent to apply tidelands funds to reduce the existing bonded indebtedness of the state. However, it does notin the light of the equally reasonable constructions advanced to usunambiguously provide that such tidelands funds must be used to reduce the debt only by paying bonded indebtedness in advance of maturity. Nor does the constitutional phraseology of the provision itself require a construction, for which the taxpayers contend, that the tidelands escrow funds may not be used to pay any portion of the state's bonded indebtedness which matures in the same fiscal year as the funds are received. [5] Reference to the records and debates of the constitutional convention clearly indicate a specific intent to continue by this provision the substance of a predecessor section of the 1921 constitution (to be cited and quoted below). See: State of Louisiana, Constitutional Convention of 1973, Verbatim Transcripts (39 Volumes; 1973-1974) (hereinafter cited as Proceedings, by volume number, date of debate, and page numbers) at: 34 Proceedings (103rd day, December 18) 123-39 and (104th day, December 19) 2-12; 38 Proceedings (117th day, January 14) 105 and (118th day, January 15) 13, 15; and 39 Proceedings (121st day, January 18) 187, 188-89, 198. The provision of the 1921 constitution thus intended to be continued in substance by the 1974 constitution, was Louisiana Constitution of 1921, Article IV, Section 2(d). This was a 1966 amendment submitted to the people by Act 170 of 1965 and adopted by them. The records of the Constitutional Convention clearly indicate that the drafters merely intended to shorten the 1921 provision, but to retain its substance. Senator Louis Lambert, chairman of the committee reporting the provision and recommending its adoption, so explained this as its meaning and substance. He stated that the section provides that tidelands funds not otherwise dedicated would be used to retire the state's bonded indebtedness as did the previous article. . . . Basically what this does is retain the source provision in our present constitution. He further stated, [w]e did not want to do anything to take away from the intent of the [prior] constitutional provision. As a result of that, we adopted it almost as it was. We tried to shorten it as much as we could and we shortened it quite a bit. But, we tried to retain the substance that was in the source provision . . . [W]e tried to keep intact as best we could the existing, the source provision, in our present constitution. See 34 Proceedings (103rd day, December 18) 125-26. Nowhere in the debates is any contrary intent set forth. (The debates of the convention reflect a consistent intent, when retaining in substance prior constitutional provisions, to shorten [6] and simplify the language, and to use English rather than legalese in expressing the same concepts. Thus, a change in language does not necessarily indicate any change in meaning from a provision of the prior constitution so retained in simplified language.) At the outset of this discussion, therefore, we shall set forth in the table below the text of the two constitutional provisions: