Opinion ID: 1767915
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The parties, the underlying lawsuits, and the trial court's judgment

Text: On July 29, 1991, the last day of the 1991 Alabama regular legislative session, before the legislature's adjournment sine die (final adjournment of the session), the legislature passed the 1991 educational appropriations bill, House Bill 203. On August 8, 1991, the Governor of Alabama, Guy Hunt, attempted to approve portions of that bill and to disapprove other portions of it. Three actions were filed challenging the Governor's attempted disapproval of portions of House Bill 203. Each action sought a judgment declaring that the Governor's attempted disapproval of portions of House Bill 203 was unconstitutional and requested that the Governor; G. Robin Swift, the State Finance Director; and Robert L. Childree, the State Comptroller, be enjoined from acting in a manner inconsistent with House Bill 203 as enacted by the legislature. [1] David Bronner and Paul Hubbert, individually and in their capacities as members of the Public Education Employees Health Insurance Board, filed one action; Wayne Teague individually and in his capacity as state superintendent of education, filed another action; and James E. Folsom, Jr., lieutenant governor of Alabama, and numerous state senators and representatives filed the third action. All three actions were consolidated for trial. For the sake of simplicity, we refer to all the arguments made by all the plaintiffs as Teague's arguments, and we refer to all the arguments made by all the defendants as the Governor's arguments. On September 9, 1991, shortly after these actions were filed in the circuit court, the Alabama Senate requested this Court's opinion on the same issues as were raised in these actions. Pursuant to our longsettled policy of declining to issue advisory opinions on questions pending in litigation, see Opinion of the Justices No. 306, 447 So.2d 1305 (Ala.1984); Opinion of the Justices No. 298, 431 So.2d 496 (Ala.1982); Opinion of the Justices No. 289, 410 So.2d 388 (Ala.1982); and Opinion of the Justices No. 214, 294 Ala. 589, 319 So.2d 715 (1975), we did not immediately address the advisory opinion request, preferring to wait and address the questions in a full adversary proceeding. In light of the importance of the issues presented, these cases presenting those issues were expedited on appeal so that we could quickly answer the questions presented by them. With the issuance of this opinion, the Senate's request is moot. See Opinion of the Justices No. 332, 588 So.2d 864 (Ala.1991). The parties argued to the trial court that §§ 125 and 126 of the 1901 Alabama Constitution and those sections' interpretation were dispositive of the issues presented by the three consolidated actions. The trial court entered an order that stated pertinently: Having carefully reviewed and considered the language of Sections 125 and 126 of the Alabama Constitution of 1901, this Court finds that the Governor does not constitutionally possess the power under § 126, or under any other section of the Constitution, read in pari materia, to disapprove a distinct item, or distinct items, in an appropriation bill embracing distinct items after adjournment sine die of the Alabama legislature. .... On the basis of the foregoing, this Court finds and DECLARES that the actions taken by the Governor in disapproving certain portions of House Bill 203.... were ineffectual to constitute an item veto under § 126 and are thus a nullity. Because the Governor, pursuant to Sections 125 and 126, signed House Bill 203 and because the Governor intended that House Bill 203 be approved in its entirety in the event his attempted exercise of an item veto was unconstitutional, I further hold and DECLARE that House Bill 203 is valid in its entirety and entitled to enforcement as passed by the legislature. Therefore, it is hereby ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the Defendants, and all those acting in concert with them, be, and the same hereby are, enjoined and restrained from acting inconsistently with this Order and from failing to enforce, and make payments in accordance with House Bill 203....