Court Opinion

ID: 9663346
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 23:35:45.452726+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:48.193759
License: Public Domain

Hastings, C.J.,
dissenting.
I agree with the conclusion reached by Shanahan, J., in his dissenting opinion. The language of Neb. Const. art. VII, § 13, “[t]he general government of the state colleges as now existing,” is, in my opinion, simply descriptive of a “state college.” There is otherwise no definition of that term.
If that is true, there would seem to be little question but that the Legislature could abolish one or more of the state colleges as now existing. Perhaps the language of L.B. 247 could have been *408more affirmative in its abolishment. However, the language “[t]he existing institution at Kearney known as Kearney State College shall be established as a university” would seem to leave no doubt but that the “state college” was being abolished.
Expanding further on the quotation in the dissenting opinion of Shanahan, J., taken from Kanaly v. State By and Through Janklow, 368 N.W.2d 819 (S.D. 1985):
Section 1 of S.B. 221 places the “Springfield minimum security prison, formerly [U]niversity of South Dakota at Springfield . .. under the control of the board of charities and corrections.” (Emphasis supplied.) Therefore, this language does not place the control of USD/S and its educational programs under the jurisdiction of the Board of Charities and Corrections. . . . Thus, the Board of Regents maintained control until the termination of the educational programs offered at USD/S. Appellants’ contentions in opposition are not sustainable due to the express language of the legislative act. The Board of Charities and Corrections was given control of the Springfield minimum-security prison, not USD/S.
368 N.W.2d at 826.
In like manner, the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska was given control of the University of Nebraska at Kearney, not Kearney State College.
White, J., joins in this dissent.
CONCLUSION
As a result of article V, § 2, of the Nebraska Constitution, §§ 6 to 11 of 1989 Neb. Laws, L.B. 247, of the Ninety-first Legislature, First Session (now codified as Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 85-1, 118 to 85-1, 123 (Supp. 1989)), are constitutional.