Opinion ID: 2632256
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: General vs. Special Law

Text: ¶ 10 Petitioners contend 11 O.S. 2001, § 22-159 constitutes a special law and violates Const. Art. 5, § 46 and § 59. [4] Our analysis does not reach the provision contained in § 59 unless we first find that § 22-159 is a special law. In determining whether § 22-159 is a general or special law, we note that it is a general law if it relates to persons or things as a class rather than relating to particular persons or things. Grant v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 2000 OK 41, ¶ 5, 5 P.3d 594, 597, citing Reynolds v. Porter, 1988 OK 88, ¶ 14, 760 P.2d 816, 822, Guthrie Daily Leader v. Cameron, 3 Okla. 677, 41 P. 635, 639 (1895). It is a special law if a part of the entire class of similarly affected persons is separated for different treatment. Grant, 2000 OK 41, ¶ 5, 5 P.3d 594 at 597, citing Reynolds, 1988 OK 88, ¶ 14, 760 P.2d 816 at 822. We held in Anderson v. Walker, 1958 OK 297, ¶ 16, 333 P.2d 570, 574 that a law may be general and have a local application or apply to a designated class if it operates equally upon all the subjects within the class for which it was adopted. Section 22-159 concerns municipalities in the state of Oklahoma. It is a general law because no part of the class of municipalities is separated for different treatment, and it relates to all municipalities in the state. Since we determine that § 22-159 is a general law, we need not analyze the statute in the context of Const. Art. 5, § 59 because this provision pertains to special laws. Reynolds v. Porter, 1988 OK 88, ¶ 14, 760 P.2d 816, 822-823. ¶ 11 This statute neither mandates nor precludes municipalities from supporting public school systems located within their corporate limits. Neither does it mandate nor does it preclude municipalities from expending municipal revenues for construction or improvement of public school facilities. Indeed, the statute is permissive in character because the definitive word chosen by the legislature is may instead of shall. May denotes a permissive statute. Shall signifies a mandatory directive or command. See, e.g., Keating v. Edmondson, 2001 OK 110, ¶ 13, 37 P.3d 882, 888; Samman v. Multiple Injury Trust Fund, 2001 OK 71, ¶ 11, 33 P.3d 302, 307. The statute affords all municipalities in the state of Oklahoma an option to support public school districts located therein, and this option applies equally to each municipality. Whether or not all municipalities choose to exercise this option is of no consequence in our analysis since the statute is general, applies to a designated class, (to-wit: municipalities in the state of Oklahoma,) and operates equally upon all the members of the class (municipalities in the state of Oklahoma) for which it was adopted. Accordingly, § 22-159 does not violate Const. Art. 5, § 46 or Const. Art. 5, § 59. ¶ 12 We next address the issue of whether Oklahoma City municipal ordinance No. 21,805 and the City of Lawton municipal ordinance No. 99-29 are general or special laws because of the method in which the ordinances utilize sales tax revenues. The decisive question for our determination is whether the act in question was a general law as distinguished from a local or special law. In deciding this question we must look to see if there was a proper and legitimate classification and that such classification was not arbitrary or capricious, bearing a reasonable relationship to the object to be accomplished. Sanchez v. Melvin, 1966 OK 116, ¶ 14, 418 P.2d 639, 641. ¶ 13 Oklahoma City municipal ordinance No. 21,805 apportions sales tax revenues to support public school districts based on the number of students in each school district who live within Oklahoma City and based upon need. Independent District No. 89 is comprised solely of students who live in Oklahoma City, whereas the other school districts are comprised of students who live in Oklahoma City and in surrounding suburban areas. The Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area Public Schools Trust (OCMAPST) will act as a conduit for revenues and 70% thereof will go to Independent District No. 89 while 30% will go to twenty-three suburban districts. Independent District No. 89 has ill-equipped and dilapidated school buildings, and thus greater need than suburban districts that have newer, better-equipped facilities. The statute establishes a legitimate and reasonable classification of municipalities statewide that share a situation with a rational relationship to a legitimate legislative objective, to-wit: public school districts that agree to an offer of support from the sales tax revenues collected by the municipalities in which they are located, (either in whole or in part.) ¶ 14 Similarly, Lawton municipal ordinance No. 99-29, approved by the citizens of Lawton in a November 9, 1999, election, establishes a sales tax to provide for certain capital improvements on the basis of need, including construction of a new Central Junior High School, (begun September 7, 2000,) to replace a dilapidated facility. ¶ 15 The right to free public schools does not guarantee, on its face, equal expenditures per pupil. Fair School Finance Council v. State, 1987 OK 114, ¶ 52, 746 P.2d 1135, 1150 (wherein we used a rational basis standard to evaluate the classification used for expenditures per pupil.) We hold that a rational basis exists for the distinction made in these ordinances regarding which public school districts will receive the sales tax revenues. The apportionment method, (or classification,) utilized by the City of Oklahoma City and the City of Lawton is not arbitrary or capricious, but is reasonable, proper and legitimate. Accordingly, we determine that Oklahoma City municipal ordinance No. 21,805 and Lawton municipal ordinance No. 99-29 are general in nature and do not violate Const. Art. 5, § 46. Since we determine that these ordinances are general in nature, we need not analyze the ordinances in the context of Const. Art. 5, § 59 because this provision pertains to special laws. Reynolds v. Porter, 1988 OK 88, ¶ 14, 760 P.2d 816, 822.