Court Opinion

ID: 9681344
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 07:48:39.30514+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:33.493754
License: Public Domain

STEAKLEY, Justice
(dissenting).
I am preparing a dissenting opinion in Lee v. Daniels, Tex., 377 S.W.2d 618, in support of my view that the accomplished resignation of Sam Jorrie as County Commissioner of Bexar County on February 1, 1964, removed his ineligibility to the Legislature under Section 19 of Article III and Section 12 of Article XVI of the Constitution of Texas. Section 16 of Chapter XXIV of the Charter of the City of Fort Worth provides that “If a member of the Council shall become a candidate for nomination or election to any public office, other than that of Councilman, he shall immediately forfeit his place in the Council; * * * ”
I would hold for the reasons to be stated in the dissenting opinion mentioned above that the immediate forfeiture of the office of City Councilman by the act of Doyle Willis in becoming a candidate for the office of State Senator removed his ineligibility for the Legislature. As I view the problem, the holding of a disqualifying office should be recognized as the consistent criteria of ineligibility in both Section 19 of Article III and Section 12 of Article XVI; otherwise, there will exist an irreconcilable conflict between these two constitutional provisions pertaining to eligibility to the Legislature.