Opinion ID: 164344
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: 9 Plaintiffs 1 filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma seeking a declaration that numerous provisions of article XXIII, § 1A of the Oklahoma Constitution were preempted by federal law and that any remaining non-preempted provisions of § 1A were not severable from the preempted provisions. Although the district court concluded that the majority of the provisions of article XXIII, § 1A were not preempted by the relevant federal labor laws, it did conclude that § 1A(B)(5) and § 1A(C) were preempted by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), 29 U.S.C. § 151 et seq., and the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), 29 U.S.C. § 141 et seq. Having so determined, the district court proceeded to analyze whether the non-preempted portions of § 1A were severable from § 1A(B)(5) and § 1A(C). The district court concluded that the core provisions of article XXIII, § 1A were contained in § 1A(B)(1)-(4) and, applying Okla. Stat. tit. 75, § 11a and its presumption of severability, further concluded that the invalidation of § 1A(B)(5) and § 1A(C) would not hinder the enforcement of those core provisions. Accordingly, the district court determined that § 1A(B)(5) and § 1A(C) were severable from the remaining portions of § 1A. 10 Plaintiffs bring the instant appeal challenging two aspects of the district court's decision. First, they contend the district court erred in concluding that § 1A(B)(1) is not preempted by federal labor law. Second, they assert the district court erred in determining that § 1A(B)(5) and § 1A(C) are severable from the remainder of § 1A and, in any event, the additional preemption of § 1A(B)(1) clearly tips the balance in favor of non-severability. 2 11 Exercising jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291, this court holds as follows: (1) plaintiffs have standing to assert that article XXIII, § 1A(B)(1) is preempted by federal law as part of their claim that the entirety of § 1A is void; and (2) § 1A(B)(1) is preempted by the NLRA. Having so concluded, we certify to the Oklahoma Supreme Court the question whether § 1A(B)(1), § 1A(B)(5), and § 1(C) are severable from the remaining, non-preempted portions of § 1A. See 10th Cir.R. 27.1; Okla. Stat. tit. 20, §§ 1601-1611.