Court Opinion

ID: 9752626
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 18:24:38.258482+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:45:35.143949
License: Public Domain

House, J.
(dissenting).
I do not agree that there is an ambiguity in these statutes or any doubt as to the expressed intention of the General Assembly where, as here, such intention is stated in clear and explicit language. “Where the language of a statute is plain and unambiguous, the enactment speaks for itself and there is no occasion to construe it. Hurlbut v. Lemelin, 155 Conn. 68, 73, 230 A.2d 36; State v. Springer, 149 Conn. 244, 248, 178 A.2d 525; 2 Sutherland, Statutory Construction (3d Ed.) § 4502. ‘Its unequivocal meaning is not subject to modification by way of construction. State ex rel. Rourke v. Barbieri, 139 Conn. 203, 207, 91 A.2d 773; Swits v. Swits, 81 Conn. 598, 599, 71 A. 782.’ General Tires, Inc. v. United Aircraft Corporation, 143 Conn. 191, 195, 120 A.2d 426.” State v. Simmons, 155 Conn. 502, 504, 234 A.2d 835. I believe that this court should not abandon this well-settled principle of statutory interpretation.
Section 7-314a (2) of the General Statutes (see footnote 2 in the majority opinion) expressly provided that such volunteer firemen as the plaintiff “shall be construed to be employees of the municipality for the benefit of which volunteer fire services are rendered” and “shall be compensated in accordance with the provisions of chapter 568.” Chapter 568 is the chapter of the General Statutes which provides for workmen’s compensation and § 31-310 (see footnote 1 in the majority opinion) is *63included within that chapter. Section 31-310 clearly and unambiguously provides for the proration of workmen’s compensation where an injured employee worked for more than one employer. “In this respect, the statute is unambiguous and is not therefore subject to modification by way of construction.” Little v. United Investors Corporation, 157 Conn. 44, 48, 245 A.2d 567. “It is the expressed intent of the legislature which controls, and that intent is to be found in the meaning of what it says”; Adams v. Vaill, 158 Conn. 478, 483, 262 A.2d 169; and not some unexpressed or supposed state of mind of the General Assembly. See Rivera v. I. S. Spencer’s Sons, Inc., 154 Conn. 162, 166, 223 A.2d 808.
In my opinion the Superior Court should he advised to render judgment directing the commissioner to prorate the award in accordance with the formula which was precisely specified in § 31-310 of chapter 568 of the General Statutes. Under this formula a prescribed portion of the award is to he paid from the second injury and compensation assurance fund. This fund was created and is maintained by a statutory assessment against each workmen’s compensation insurance carrier and self-insurer doing business in the state on the basis of a percentage of the total amount expended by each of them in payment of their liability under the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation Act. General Statutes § 31-354. In this way the burden was shifted by the General Assembly “to industry and, eventually, the public at large.” Everett v. Ingraham, 150 Conn. 153, 158, 186 A.2d 798.
In this opinion Alcorx, J., concurred.