Court Opinion

ID: 9855085
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:19:18.671225+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:39.967722
License: Public Domain

COMPTON, Justice,
concurring.
In my view the Alaska Workers’ Compensation Board (Board) erred when it construed “absent from the labor force” to mean “simply ‘unemployed.’ ” The basis for the Board’s construction is its view of how to implement the legislative goal sought to be achieved by the amendments contained in Senate Bill 322, which is establishment of a quick, efficient, fair, and predictable benefits system. This goal is explicit in the prefatory ‘intent’ section of the bill. In the Board’s view, any definition of “absent from the labor force” broader than “unemployed” would frustrate the legislative goal and lead to “a fertile ground for litigation.” Consequently, “[t]he clearest rule and the rule least subject to dispute is to interpret ‘absent from the labor force’ to mean simply ‘unemployed’_”
This simplistic construction may result in a bright line for applying the statutory limitation, and a benefits system with quick, efficient, and predictable results that will not be “a fertile ground for litigation.” However, the litigative sterility it produces strips “fair” of any chance of life. “Fair” denotes a balancing of equities and interests. The Board’s construction brooks of none. The phrase “absent from the labor force” cannot be construed properly unless the element of fairness is considered. The opinion of the court quite properly emphasizes that the legislature mandated that fairness be considered in administering the benefits system.
The Board found:
Gilmore worked at Dales Cycle in San Bernadino, California for 13 weeks and 5 days for $6.00 per hour to gain on-the-job experience in conjunction with the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute of Phoenix, Arizona. He also worked as J-S Repair in Edmonds, Washington under a veterans’ benefit program for 8 weeks and 3 days at $7.00 per hour. He worked in these positions for experience because he hoped to establish an international dealership in reconditioned Harley Davidson motorcycles.
Alaska Workers’ Compensation Board, Docket AWCB No. 8925031, Decision and Order, p. 2.
Gilmore’s jobs were in connection with “formal training program[s].”1 He was pur*931suing an educational goal. One ‘job’ was subsidized by the federal government. Another ‘job’ was as a trainee in a program for which Gilmore paid a tuition in excess of $5,000, from which he was attempting to graduate. Thus his employment was, in his words, in furtherance of a primary educational objective: “The restrictions of an educational goal simply don’t afford one an opportunity to pursue involvement in a ‘free labor market.’”
Applying an “independent judgment” standard of review, Phillips v. Houston Contracting, Inc., 732 P.2d 544 (Alaska 1987), I conclude that Gilmore should be rated under AS 23.30.220(a)(2). Gilmore was “absent from the labor market” for the requisite period. His rate of compensation should be calculated under AS 23.30.220(a)(2).
The court has concluded without resolution of the statutory construction issue that constitutional issues are “ ‘critical to a proper and just decision’ in this case-” Constitutional issues cannot be critical to a proper and just decision of the case until the court has determined that the Board’s construction of AS 23.30.220(a)(2) is correct. If the Board’s construction is not correct, and Gilmore would recover under this court’s construction of the statute without resolution of constitutional issues which the court itself has raised, there is no justification for reaching the constitutional issues. I continue to believe in the doctrine that a court should abstain from reaching constitutional issues unless essential to a decision in the case. See State v. Hazelwood, 866 P.2d 827, 834 n. 2 (Alaska 1993) (Compton, J., dissenting in part: would not address constitutional issues until addressing whether evidence supported exception to exclusionary rule); Abood v. League of Women Voters, 743 P.2d 333, 343, 345 n. 3 (Alaska 1987) (Compton, J., dissenting: constitutional issue need not be decided as policy mandate of statute was dispositive); Deubelbeiss v. Commercial Fisheries Entry Comm’n, 689 P.2d 487, 491 (Alaska 1984) (Compton, J., concurring: abstain from answering constitutional questions when other dispositive grounds exist, citing Escambia County v. McMillan, 466 U.S. 48, 104 S.Ct. 1577, 80 L.Ed.2d 36 (1984)). This court has itself invoked the doctrine of abstention. Municipality of Anchorage v. Anchorage Daily News, 794 P.2d 584, 594 n. 18 (Alaska 1990) (civil rules constitute sufficient device for controlling discovery harassment, thus decline to reach broader constitutional issue); State v. F/V Baranof, 677 P.2d 1245, 1255 (Alaska 1984) (since owners were afforded due process, need not address constitutionality of statute), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 823, 105 S.Ct. 98, 83 L.Ed.2d 43 (1984); Zerbe v. State, 578 P.2d 597, 598 (Alaska 1978) (because of disposition of first point on appeal, need not address constitutional issue), overruled on other grounds, Stephens v. State, Dept. of Revenue, 746 P.2d 908 (Alaska 1987); Puller v. Municipality of Anchorage, 574 P.2d 1285, 1288 (Alaska 1978) (in light of construction of statute, do not reach constitutional issues); State v. City of Anchorage, 513 P.2d 1104, 1112 (Alaska 1973) (interpretation of statute makes it unnecessary to reach constitutional issue); Anniskette v. State, 489 P.2d 1012, 1016 (Alaska 1971) (since conduct protected by constitution, do not reach broader question of statute’s constitutionality, cited with approval in Marks v. City of Anchorage, 500 P.2d 644, 647 n. 9 (Alaska 1972); Perry v. State, 429 P.2d 249, 251-52 (Alaska 1967) (do not need to reach and therefore decline to reach statutory issue, since answer might lead to constitutional issue; should not pass on constitutional issue unless determination essential to decision of case). However, it has not always seen fit to follow it. Granato v. Occhipinti, 602 P.2d 442, 447 (Alaska 1979) (Boochever, J., with whom Rabinowitz, C.J., joins, dissenting: court should not construe statute to reach an incongruous result, thereby necessitating resolution of constitutional issue). Similarly, the court of appeals has invoked the doctrine of abstention. Robins v. Municipality of Anchorage, 711 P.2d 550, 552 (Alaska App.1985) (need not decide constitutional issue, since probable cause for arrest existed prior to giving breath test); State v. Williams, 653 P.2d 1067, 1069 (Alaska App.1982) (do not reach constitutional issue since case can be resolved by applying Alaska Rules of Criminal Procedure), aff'd in part, 681 P.2d 313 (Alaska 1984).
*932I think it unfortunate that this court continues to take an ad hoc approach to application of the doctrine of abstention. First, failure to apply the doctrine may result in unnecessary confusion and disruption within the governmental agency charged with the responsibility of attempting to enforce a statutory scheme, part of which is no longer operative. Second, failure to apply the doctrine may afford a windfall benefit to non-litigants whose position is bettered by a declaration of uneonstitutionality, while applying the doctrine may deny the benefit to a particular litigant. This inconsistency may be viewed as evidencing either arbitrariness or favoritism, neither of which should be tolerated.
Since I agree that Gilmore should be rated under AS 23.30.220(a)(2), I concur in the result.

ORDER REGARDING EMERGENCY MOTION FOR STAY OF DECISION

1.The court has considered the Board’s emergency motion for stay of decision of October 14, 1994. The emergency motion demonstrates that the court failed to consider a material remedial question, namely, whether AS 23.30.220(a) is facially unconstitutional or unconstitutional as applied. Accordingly, the court deems the motion to be, in part, a motion for rehearing under Appellate Rule 506. As such, the court GRANTS rehearing and amends the opinion by adding a new paragraph to the beginning of footnote 17. [Editor’s Note: Amendment incorporated for publication.]
2. Except as noted in paragraph one of this order, the emergency motion for stay of decision is DENIED. The opinion in this case as modified on rehearing should guide the Board as to how to proceed when the formula of AS 23.30.220(a)(1) yields a result which does not fairly reflect the future earnings loss of an injured employee. In such cases, as in the present case, the alternative method contained in section 220(a)(2) is to be used.
3. The question of prospectivity or retro-activity, and the type of prospectivity or ret-roactivity, will be addressed in the context of a case in which the question is essential to the decision. In the meantime, the past opinions of this court should serve as a basis for an informed decision by the Board. See Metcalf v. Felec Servs., 784 P.2d 1386 (Alaska 1990); Morrison v. Afognak Logging, Inc., 768 P.2d 1139 (Alaska 1989); Vienna v. Scott Wetzel Sens., Inc., 740 P.2d 447 (Alaska 1987); Suh v. Pingo Corp., 736 P.2d 342 (Alaska 1987).

. The gross weekly earnings for "a minor, an apprentice, or a trainee in a formal training program” may be enhanced under AS 23.30.220(a)(3). Under Section (a)(3), in determining the gross weekly earnings for this special category of employees the Board may take into consideration "wages [which] under normal conditions would increase during the period of disability. ...” This enhancement is not permitted unless the injured employee falls within the Section (a)(3) exception. Thus the statute itself segregates the labor market. If a trainee is afforded disparate and more favorable treatment for the purpose of making a gross weekly earnings determination, it is difficult to justify treating the trainee’s "formal training program" time as equivalent to that of an employee not so circumstanced. Presumably the enhancement is because the trainee is not part of the labor market.