Opinion ID: 1737377
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: other miscellaneous executive powers.

Text: The statutes enacted by the legislature, coupled with the record of the proceedings below, reflect that the Commission of Budget and Accounting has numerous additional powers and in fact, performs multi additional duties all of which are essentially executive. These adjunctive powers include the administration of public purchasing statutes (Section 31-7-1, et seq.), and the administration of state employees group insurance program (Section 25-15-1, et seq.). Additional and assorted miscellaneous duties are also spread throughout the code, including the authority to approve rules adopted by the State Auditor for establishing a merit system for his employees (Section 7-7-7). Other similar duties and responsibilities not essentially legislative, that is in accord with their constitutional function to provide the policy of the state through the enactment of laws, are noted below. To allow the authority for Educational Television to contract (Section 37-63-11); to give concurrence for the use of funds to travel outside the continental United States (Section 25-3-41); to advertise for and accept bids on equipment for the State Crime Laboratory (Section 63-11-47); to grant authority for the purchase of motor vehicles by state departments, institutions or agencies (Section 25-1-77); and to approve the disbursement of funds by the Mississippi Air and Water Pollution Commission (Section 49-17-13), are obviously duties or responsibilities that come within the Executive Department. None have functions essential to the legislative right of providing state policy through the enactment of laws. In our opinion, they are essentially, if not altogether, administrative functions within the prerogative of the executive department. Further, the statutes grant the Budget Commission concurrent authority to obtain loans for interim financing of state ports and harbors from Mississippi banking institutions (Section 59-5-41); to approve the issuance of bonds and lease and/or sales contracts for the financing and development of a state port, harbor or waterway (Section 59-5-51); to approve contracts entered into by state agencies for printing, binding, engraving and lithographing (Section 31-1-1); and to approve the disposal of state property held as surplus property by the Surplus Property Procurement Commission (Section 31-9-15). Undoubtedly these rights, attempted to be bestowed by statute, are an enlargement of legislative power beyond constitutional restraints and as such are prohibited. Consistent with what we have stated above, Appellants Alexander, Bodron, DeWeese, Crook, Newman, Merideth, Perry, Simpson and Millette may not constitutionally perform any of these functions because they properly belong to the executive department. Similarly, the statutes vesting in these appellants the powers and functions mentioned, or other functions which are in their essence executive, are hereby declared unconstitutional.