Opinion ID: 1726756
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Whether House Bill 1671 Benefits a Private Party.

Text: ¶ 14. Because H.B. 1671 suspends general laws, we turn to the issue of whether the bill is for the benefit of an individual or private corporation or association. Miss. Const. art. IV, § 87. Oxford Asset asserts that H.B. 1671 directly benefits a private entity by: (1) allowing the transfer of public property to a private entity without an objective determination of the value of the public property transferred; (2) permitting the construction of a parking garage by a private entity without the requirements of competitive bidding; and (3) conveying the air and development rights above public property in exchange for construction work with no regard for the value of the construction work. On the other hand, the City counters that H.B. 1671 is for the benefit of a municipality and therefore the prohibitions of Section 87 do not apply. See Brandon v. City of Hattiesburg, 493 So.2d 324, 326 (Miss.1986) (The prohibitions of Section 87 are wholly inapplicable to public entities such as the City of Hattiesburg.); Greenwood v. Telfair, 207 Miss. 200, 206-207, 42 So.2d 120, 122 (1949) (Section 87 had no application to a local and private law applying to a municipal corporation.); Feemster v. Tupelo, 121 Miss. 733, 743-744, 83 So. 804 (1920) (even though the effect of the private law may be to suspend the general law, the prohibition [of Section 87] applies to private and not municipal corporations.). ¶ 15. In determining the beneficiary of private or local laws, we consider: (1) to whom the legislation is directed or applied and (2) whether the aim or thrust of the bill is to benefit the public. See Bond v. Marion County Board of Supervisors, 807 So.2d 1208, 1217 (Miss.2001). We find that H.B. 1671 applies to the City and that the aim of the bill is to increase the availability of public parking for the City of Oxford. Each section of H.B. 1671 is directed or applied to the governing authorities of the City of Oxford. H.B. 1671, Reg. Sess. (Miss.2006). Additionally, the bill is aimed at expanding parking facilities in order to meet the needs and expectations of the community. Accordingly, we hold that H.B. 1671 benefits the City of Oxford and that the benefit to any private party is indirect. ¶ 16. Where private laws indirectly benefit private parties, we have further subjected the private laws to a two-part constitutional inquiry. Bond, 807 So.2d at 1217-1219. In doing so, we have ensured minimal, yet necessary, constitutional restraints upon private laws that indirectly benefit private parties. We find these constitutional parameters to be of particular importance where private parties indirectly benefit from private laws.