Court Opinion

ID: 4139280
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2017-02-18 02:45:50.150998+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:22:34.470875
License: Public Domain

T
'Oil.
 3o,t~&ke;~avis                 county
hstin,     Texas
3ear Sir:                                opinion IJO. O-7034
                                     ,Re:     Y%ether a veteran who quell
                                              under &tiole   6, ?eotlon 2a
                                              the Texas Constitution is r
                                              qulred to obtain a oertiiio
                                              of exemption before he can
                                              and related questions.

         a !?ember of the armed for                      United States
         or of.;the Armed .Foroe Res                    e United States,
         or or”any branch QF oompo                      or suoh arned
         rorces or Armed Force Re

         cr ;&thin     one year eftcr       the cl.one of t.LIec: FenBar
         par   ir ?:kiC!? Seid lJSr iS terr~lnoted.                 Ii
                *woviAea,     bowever,      th.Bt the  fore,&nr:      po-
         vision3    of thiz   section      do ;iot confer    the   ri.~~ht to
:-:!I.   :‘crrg   J.. Zones -, race 2

         vote u?on any yrson ?~ho is a ncnber of the rep,U%T
         ~!r,tablj,nkr.ent o’f the rlnitod ‘Itotes army, :IaY.v, or
         :.:arine Corps; and provided further, that a.11 persons
         in the amed roroes ol the United 7tGtes, or the
          component brGnohes thereof not members of the reg-
          fi.e$ es?.abllshment of the 1?nited States Ar.my, Davy,
          or l.!arine Corps, ore hereby deolared not tombe
          disqualified    drum voting by reason or any Drovision
          or sub-section     lFifth’ or Section 1, of this’
         ArtioleiW
             In view of the raot that this provision WIS adopted
 OS an amendmentto the Constitution arter the last session of
 the Lef$slature,   your request presents the problem of determi
 the efrcct of such amendment, ?hioh has become s psrt of the
 funndomentel lau of this State, upon prior constitutional         end
 stetutory ‘provislons governing the quallrioations        of voters
 ?na the conduct ..cb : elections.   -The Texas ~Zegisleture has not
 been in session sinoe the efreotive       date oi this .amendx+t,
 end therefore no new law has been enaoted and no old.strtute
‘hs& been*amended~’ sinoe\:.that. date.   All .or the ~ooagtitutlonal
 ma stntutory provIsionS_ @ted         endreierred:to  herein were ir
 efreot prior to the adoption- txP the above .amendment; end are
 still  in effect exoept insorer as they may hsve been repealed
 or r!odiiied b.v quoh~amendment.:
                  Question 1: @Does::%txole VI, .$&&Son i-a’,“oi
                  rthe~Gonsti’tutio~,:~~ ,Texas exempt.;persona who
                  kome:.7n~~~~.~i~~~‘~~~~-~r.rorn.,lia~b%llty ,rar pay-
                  ment : of ‘a,, pdll.tax?W
            .:rtiole VIII, Yeotion 1, of the Constitution 0r
 Texas,  euth@izes-the    Legislature to impose a poll tax; and
 Article VII: Seotion 3, ...provides. in part:
                “One-tourth of the revenue derived rrom the
          ‘Xate oocupation taxes and ~011 tax’ of one dollar
          on every inhabitant of the %ate, between the ages
          of tlenty-one   end sixty years, Ghall be set apart
          annuellq for the benefit of the public free schools;
           . . . .
            Article 7CI,6, 2959, and 2960, Vernon’s Annoteted F:
  Civil Statutes, impose Gn GnnUal poll tax and provide certai
  exemptions therefrom.
‘:on. Ferry L. Zones - Page 3

              ?here   an amendmentto the constitution        predicates a
conrliot, with existina lenislation.          the inaonsiste bnt statutory
yovi sionz; are repealed by implication.             Stats of ??hode Island
i?. 7al:.ler
     -          253 U. ?. 350, 64 L. Id. 946, -40 C-         Ct 486 (1915)
Sutherlanc its Statutorr Construotion.          (36. ed:‘~p~orakl,   2eo.
          ----~- -- a we sea no inconsist&-.-my between the above-
2+x5. Fawever.
mentl.oned oonstitutional         and ststutorg provisiOnS imposine the
3,011 tax and the oonstltutional          amendmentunder OOnsideratlOn.
Ike language used in the constitution&l             amendment does not
indicate an intention to repeal or amend such prior laws l.m-
Tosin? the poll tax.        ‘Pherefore, as previously held in our
tiltion     !To. o-6821. it Is our opinion that although the person?
 *&ed in the amenGent are not required, 88 a condition 6reoedc
to their rip.t to vote, to pay a poll tax Qp to hold a reoeipt
 tterefor,     yet the amendmentdoes not exeunt them from the m-
 r.ent o': the poll tax.      ::;‘a snswer ~your~ion~l        in the --
m.

              ,&estiob~ 2: “Is the Tax: Colleotor authmized..
              to issue a oertificate~af   exemption to a'prson"
              who comas within the terms of Artiole.VI,     sec-
               tion 2-a, or the ConstZtutkion of Texas, assuming
              that suoh person is not ,,gtherwise exempt. from.
               pay-rent ,of-e poll~,,tq??  ~. .’               .~
            Althou& the‘ ooktitutional:       provision :under. &nsider
Won does     not mention oertifioates     ofexempti'on;   it. is olear
rrom a reading    of the statutes    that a Person who is.not exempt
rrom the nayment ot the poll tax is not entitled to a oertifi-
oate
1V        exem t on.      9
?rom the payment of a poll tax, end who are theref'ore entitlei
to a certifi0ete‘%b    that effect,    are required to obtain suoh s
certiricnte.Y    It would be foolish     to say that s person who is
not exemnt from payment of a poll tax must obtain a certiri:
cate stutfng that he is exem& from such payment.
               Article 2968, Vernon’s Annotated P,evised Civil       %a-
 tutes,     provides, in pert:
                ‘Tvery person who is exemeted by lav: from the
          5aynent of n 7011 tax, :na who is in other respects
          G quu14.I.-“ied vo t er, Iho resides in a city of ten
          thousand (10,000) inhabitants or more, s’:all,      before
          the Pirrt @.l 1945 Would he entitled to obtain an exemption certiiicr
         nrior to l?eb. 1, 1946, even though the 18 months' period pre
           ::or:.Fcrrp L. Zones - ?aaqe 8

           In *he ~nendment would expire prior to the eenel?al elaotion in
           :!ovember, 1946. The ennusl poll tax is levied on a certain da
           .:ud it nuat be paid by a certain date, or en exemption oer-
           cificate   must be obtained by a certain date, in order for eith
           ;;o serve as a qhslification    for voting; and when proDerly ob-
            r.Azeed, the raoeipt or certificate    serves as evidence o? the I
            to vote.during a certein year. It is apparent iron the above
            tl?at these statutes could not beapplied     effeatively in their
           present form, to tiersons who qUSlify Under the oonstitutional
            zzewirent .
                         Assunin&?that the Le&alstUre would now have the
           :g::er to set ur, a valid rwqirement thatpersons                who qualify
           undoer fleoti'on 2e 0r the Constitution nust obtain a speoial c81
           ti~icate    ana that no such person.will           be“@ermitted~to vote
           f:nlers h8 Lweaent.8 such oertiiiCat8           (which~,gU~~tiOn~.ae~i8rencr
,:..       '10.7 cellad upon to de&la),         yet it is 018ar that the.~Lee.sislat~
           +?s r?ade no~:such..reauirement.        Certslnly,      a.parson who quali-
           5 ies -w a voter under th Gonstitution is-not%0                 be disfran-
           &iC:od and reiused the rze,t to vote nerelgbebause                 t,he,Legis
           Lcture h-as not provided 6% the isSuanOe'of~ a ceM.ficete
           s:w:ii.lf: his ~uelifioation.
.                                                     -
            ,-           3-18 hjUr't;S 0~&8xa-t&WJ~      thx%-&&uX tha.'~8a&&k,#Sr
    it-.    conotrued~:,the statutory 'reguldtiofiti siid~tiha-the,,'rif~~t.;~.-a
            voter'f+reely.to     c.Sst his‘vote‘in     the :e~re~sion:~6~;:~-s,r~ee
            choice at 6n election and, in the ebS8noe~~Of S.tatUtOry              -0oman
           v&l1 not disfranchise him. state v. tlarMn'~'-186-~?: 7. I
            111 (&arillo      Civ. App. 1945>;
            12 n. 'I. 952; !?ensep Vi ":il!~el~~
            App. 1932);;ztretton       v. Hall,
            App. 1936);'Lee v. :miteheab,
            civ. 4pp. 1944).        The constitutionel       amendment under oonsidel
            tion was olearly intended to permit servicemen an& ex-service
            who qualify Uhsreunder to vote tdthout paylag: 8 poll tax re?z
            less of prior legislation         on the subject.        It would be un-
            reasonable to say that the effect of the aIlendr:ent is to
            disfranchise     such person because,t!!ey cannot quelifg under tl
            existing: exenption-certificate        .statutos     end because the Leci:
            lature has made no special provision for them. To so hold
            :;'oulJ. be to l'eder the amen&tent neanin?less nnd of no effec-
            whetever.
                        ?herel'orc,   we auwer    *'our euestion   3 i2 the affirn
               &.
           -
“0.1.    7crry I. Zones - ?a,?8 9

                               the   “1s     Tax  authorized
                                                    Colleotor
              -F-w
              to CC u 8 on the certiried  list of voters
              the nanes of persons uho come within the tams
              of   nticle    section ;?-a, of the Constitution
                               VI,
              of Texas, but who have ;lot p3id a poll tax
              and have not obtained a certificate  of exemption?"
              Article       VI , !?ection I,   0r    the Constitution   or Texas,
nrovides:
                "In all elections   by the people the vote shall
         be by bellot and the Legislature shall Rrovlde for the
         cmbering or tiokets and neke such othar regulations
         es my be necessaqto        detect and punish fraud and
         creserve the purity of the b&lot box and the Legis-
         13ture may provide by 13%~ for the regtstration    or all
         voterg.in.all     cities containing a population of ten
        .,;;h,ousand inhs.bitsnts "m'.mme.,v
         -. Articl3~2975;             Vernon*s Annotated Revised'~givil       '&at.
utea, requires that:
               Y3efore the first day of April every esr, the
         .County Tox.Colleotor  shall deliver to the 5nerd that
         .iS'.Oh3~~8d'F~th:'th8~'dUt~_~r.'f~i~~ai~'i318Oti~              SUP-
         plie.s'~~separate oertiried' lists-.~r.~uifi~~' in eaoh
         vecinot    who hev~~bsia~'theFr~~noll tax-imreoeived
         their c3rtifiostes     Of exertion,"
such lists to be arranged in a oertain order and to contain c
taiz infarnation,  and rurther provides for supplemntal lists
any county epntaininga   tom of.'nore than ten thousand inhab-
itants.
              Jzticle 3121, Vernon's               .;nhotated Revised Civil   Stet
 utes,    reads lis r0110vis:
                "The county tax colleator shall deliver to the
         ohairnen of the county exucutive comittee     of each
         Toliticol   party, r0r it3 use in primry selections,
         zt least five days before election day, certified     and
         ;upplenentol lists of the oLu31ified voters of each
         ?pecinct in the county, arranged alphabetically    3na
         by yrecifiota,   on6 such ohoirmn shall place the snna
                                                                    152

‘on. Ferry L. Jonas - Peg8 10

     for reference in the hatis of the election ofricers
     01' each election precinct before the polls are open.
     "0 nrimarv aleotion shall be leCs1, unless such list
     in obtsin;?d and used for reference durinw the elec-
     tion.     *posit0  the name 0r every voter on said list
     ~311 be stamped, when his vote is Cast, with 3
     rubber or wooden stamp, or written with pen end ink
     the words, +rimary--voted,'      with the date of such
     nrtiru     under the same. For esoh list cb 311 the
     ~~uslified voters or the county who heve oaid their
     nnll taxes or received their certifiosteo       of axemdiion,
     %he collector     &all be permitted to cherr,e not more
     thsn five dollars,     the 23ne to be paid by the yrtg
      or its chairrzn so ordaring said lists;     provided, that
      the chor taxable nro?crtg in the C‘tzte, county,
:-‘~a. Perry L. Jones - PaEe 15

political   sub-division,    district,  city, town or villar?;e where
Agt;;oticn       is held, and who have dulg rendered the seme rc
            shall be qualiried to vote and all eiectors shall F
iz the eieotion nreoinot or their res1denoe.v         The sane re-
nuirenent is made in Article 2955a, Vernon*s annotsted Civil
Ttotutes; 3nd Artiole 2955b requires the Tax Collector to
furnish the election judges a certiried       list or owners or ret
estate who hnve rendered sene ior taxes.         In order to be
“otherwise qualiriedv to vote in this kind oi eleotion,         a
yrson who quaUfies        under. the COnstitUtiOml amendment unde:
con3ideration ;:ould have to meet the above requirement.)
           Ye ans?ler your c.uestion 7 in the a~=iirrAative, and
your ?aestion 8 in the nerrative.
                   z;e;on     9: “Do gour answers to the above
                          ons apply to primary as vfell as q,eneral
                   ~lections?n
           The constitutional  amendment under oonsideretion   :
expressly sppliaeble to “any election held under the author!
or the law78 or this state” during a speoiiled   period.   An
examination of the many statutes   euthwizing   and Roverning
pr5.mrg elections   (See Title 50, n~leotionsw, Vernon’s Ann.
3.3. civ. Ttstutes)   impels the oonalusion that .suoh electio
are held “under the authority or the law oi this state*,
eJ& that Artiole VI, seotion 2a, oi the Constitution is ap-
?licable  to primary as well as General elections.
                   ‘:e ans?ver your ?uestion   9   in the a’frirmative.
                                                     Yours     very   trulg,
                   L’
                   ..
                                               Y?Tmm          (x!stmAL   OF Tzar

                                               By /s/        Raymond A. Tanoh
F!L:   jt   :jrb                                                   Assistant
 .:?z?ovm      ,‘.;!I.17, 1946
 /s/ Grover Sellers
  i??m>m cYTR.z OF T?m”J                  .iP?F?OO’ED QPIXTI(T1: COT3ZIm~
                                                    DY W3, ChairRan