Court Opinion

ID: 9659493
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 21:48:02.493444+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:08.864350
License: Public Domain

J. R. Ernst, J.
(dissenting). I regret that I am unable to agree with the meaning which the majority ascribes to the phrase "activity or service required * * * by state law” as used in Const 1963, art 9, § 29, and file my dissent accordingly.
This Court, in O’Reilly v Wayne County, 116 Mich App 582, 589; 323 NW2d 493 (1982), held:
"In interpreting a constitution, 'the technical rules of statutory construction do not apply’. Traverse City School Dist v Attorney General, 384 Mich 390, 405; 185 NW2d 9 (1971). In Council 23 American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees v Wayne County Civil Service Comm, 32 Mich App 243, 247-248; 188 NW2d 206 (1971), the Court stated:
" 'There is a presumption that words in the Constitution have been used according to their plain, natural import, and a court is not at liberty to disregard the plain meaning of the words in order to search for some other conjectured intent.’ ”
In Dauer v Zabel, 9 Mich App 176, 180; 156 NW2d 34 (1967), vacated on other grounds 381 *138Mich 555; 164 NW2d 1 (1969), this Court considered the meaning of the term "prescribed by law” as used in Const 1908, art 2, § 13, and stated:
"In 52 CJS, Law, p 1025, 'law’ is defined as follows:
" 'The law of a state is to be found in its statutory and constitutional enactments as interpreted by its courts and, in the absence of statute law, in the rulings of its courts.’ ” (Emphasis added.)
The Headlee Amendment was adopted to provide a limited constitutional restraint upon the unfettered power of the Legislature to tax and spend. Section 5 of the Headlee Amendment, Const 1963, art 9, § 29, serves to protect units of local government against state action discontinuing or diminishing those monies which the state has provided to those local governments to finance a portion of the necessary costs of any required "existing activity or service”.
The defendants concede that, once having commenced furnishing fire protection, municipalities may not, while they are furnishing such services, distinguish among their citizens in deciding who is to receive such services. The furnishing of fire protection by cities and townships on a uniform basis is compelled by considerations of equal protection of both the United States Constitution and Michigan Constitution and by considerations of the nature of local government and its functions.
In my opinion, it is impermissibly restrictive to define the phrase "state law” as including only "a state statute or state agency rule”. Constitutional provisions and judicial decisions form an integral part of the law of this state as the term "law” is commonly understood.
The title to 1977 PA 289 declares it to be "An Act to provide for payments to municipalities for *139fire protection services received by state facilities”. Act 289 did not purport to provide general financial assistance to aid local units of government which in their discretion furnish fire protection. Rather, such payments were for the specific purpose of reimbursing those municipalities which did furnish fire protection for the proportionate cost of such fire protection which they provided to tax-exempt state-owned facilities.
Where, as here, local units of government are required by the law of the state to continue to furnish fire protection to state properties and where, as here, the state provided payments to reimburse municipalities for such required fire protection service, the state is precluded by Const 1963, art 9, § 29, from reducing such payments below the level existing on the effective date of the Headlee Amendment.
I would affirm the trial court.