Court Opinion

ID: 9585055
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:55:35.8288+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:27:12.695252
License: Public Domain

Justice PLEICONES.
I respectfully concur in part and dissent in part. In my opinion, Act 187 is constitutional in its entirety.
“The three objectives of the constitutional provision requiring that each act relate to one subject are to (1) apprise the members of the General Assembly of the contents of an act by reading the title, (2) prevent legislative log-rolling and (3) inform the people of the State of the matters with which the General Assembly concerns itself.” S.C. Pub. Serv. Auth. v. Citizens and S. Natl. Bank of S.C., 300 S.C. 142, 162, 386 S.E.2d 775, 786-87 (1989) (citations omitted); Carll v. S.C. Jobs-Economic Dev. Auth., 284 S.C. 438, 442, 327 S.E.2d 331, 334 (1985) (citations omitted).
The title of an act “need not be an index to every provision of the act” in order to “apprise members of the General Assembly” and “inform the people of the State.” Carll, 284 S.C. at 442, 327 S.E.2d at 334 (citing Hercules, Inc. v. S.C. Tax Commn., 274 S.C. 137, 262 S.E.2d 45 (1980)). In this case, the title is an index to every provision of Act 187, so neither the legislators nor the people lacked notice of the acts contents. Accordingly, Act 187 does not violate the first or third objectives of Article III, section 17.
That leaves log rolling as the only possible basis for invalidating the act. “Log rolling” is a “legislative practice of embracing in one bill several distinct matters, none of which, perhaps, could singly obtain the assent of the legislature, and then procuring its passage by a combination of the minorities in favor of each of the measures into a majority that will adopt them all.” Blacks Law Dictionary 849 (5th ed. 1979). In the language of the constitution, “every Act or resolution having the force of law shall relate to but one subject.” S.C. Const, art. Ill, 17.
The issue is, therefore, whether the provisions of Act 187 are germane to one subject. The majority finds that “the Act *444is teeming with subjects, ranging from life sciences to the establishment of a culinary arts institute.” I disagree. The majority’s view of what constitutes a subject is too narrow. Article III, section 17 is to “be liberally construed, and construed so as to uphold [an act] if practicable.” Keyserling v. Beasley, 322 S.C. 83, 86, 470 S.E.2d 100, 102 (1996); McCollum v. Snipes, 213 S.C. 254, 261, 49 S.E.2d 12, 14 (1948). Here, all of Act 187’s provisions reasonably relate to the subject of economic development.
That “economic development” is a general subject does not render it an invalid subject. Article III, section 17 “does not preclude the legislature from dealing with several branches of one general subject in a single act.” Keyserling, 322 S.C. at 86, 470 S.E.2d at 102 (citing De Loach v. Scheper, 188 S.C. 21, 198 S.E. 409 (1938)). Further, the Court should read the provisions of Act 187 together, not in isolation. Keyserling, 322 S.C. at 88, 470 S.E.2d at 103. Act 187 addresses various aspects of economic development, including a knowledge-based workforce, the life-sciences industry, research, education, venture capital, permanent improvements, and tourism.10 I would uphold Act 187 in its entirety.
I do not agree with the majority that Act 187 is “teeming with subjects.” As I have stated, I believe the act relates to several branches of one subject. If Act 187 were indeed an indulgence in log rolling, then it should be declared unconstitutional in its entirety. Log rolling undermines the legislative process and the democratic principle of majority rule. Severing certain provisions of an act neither prevents nor corrects log rolling, but rather “creates uncertainty and promotes arbitrary and uneven enforcement” of the one-subject rule. State ex rel. Ohio AFL-CIO v. Voinovich, 69 Ohio St.3d 225, 249-50, 631 N.E.2d 582, 599-600 (Ohio 1994) (William Swee*445ney, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part); see also State ex rel. Hinkle v. Franklin County Bd. of Elections, 62 Ohio St.3d 145, 153, 580 N.E.2d 767, 773 (Ohio 1991) (Douglas, J., dissenting) (asking, “[H]ow does the majority know which part of the Act is defective? The Act is a promulgation of the General Assembly in package form. Can we break into the package and excise what we perceive (or want to be) the offending part?”); Heggs v. State, 759 So.2d 620, 630 (Fla. 2000) (stating it is “manifestly unsound to employ severability”). Employing the severability clause in Act 187 turns the Court into a super-legislature.
Because I find all of Act 187’s provisions germane to the one subject of economic development, I would hold the act constitutional in its entirety.

. Some examples of topics beyond the scope of economic development are elections, judicial procedure, criminal law, and domestic-relations law. The only provision invalidated by the majority that is arguably not germane to economic development is section 20, which "sets forth the General Assembly's intent that the provisions set forth in the Act not be construed to appropriate funds.” The majority strikes section 20 because it is unrelated to life sciences. It is unrelated, however, because it is an interpretation section. Under the majority's rationale, the section containing the severability clause should also be stricken, for it does not relate to life sciences, either.