Court Opinion

ID: 9552575
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 19:13:16.047685+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:28:12.297349
License: Public Domain

DOOLIN, Justice,
concurring in part, dissenting in part:
I concur with the majority in its holding appellants have standing to request a modification of the involved order. I also concur there is no substantial evidence to support Commission’s order. But, I cannot let the obiter dicta in the final paragraph of the majority’s opinion go unchallenged.
Article 9 § 20 of the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma does indeed state that the Supreme Court on appeal “shall enter judgment, either affirming or reversing the order of the Commission appealed from.” I cannot agree this proviso does not permit this court to include, in our reversal, an order of remand or modification.
*323The Legislature must function within constitutional limitations, and it is presumed that it acts with a conscious regard thereof. Thus in interpreting Art. 9 § 20, legislative construction is highly persuasive.1
Not too long ago 52 O.S. 1971 § 113 was enacted by our Legislature. This statute provides in pertinent part, reference certain appeals from the Corporation Commission:

On such appeal the Supreme Court shall have power to determine the validity, the reasonableness and justice of such order, rule or regulation, and should the Court find from the record that the order, rule, or regulation appealed from is incorrect, unreasonable, unjust or insufficient in any particular it shall amend, modify, or supplement such order, rule, or regulation so as to make the same correct, reasonable, just or sufficient, or shall substitute therefor such order, rule, or regulation as in the Court’s opinion is warranted by the record, is reasonable and just, and will effect the purposes and intent of Sections 84-135 of this Title. On such appeals no order, rule or regulation shall be reversed and remanded to the Commission for a new trial thereon or for the taking of additional testimony unless the Court shall find that the evidence introduced before the Commission is insufficient to enable the Court to determine and make a proper order, rule, or regulation or that the party appealing did not have lawful notice of the hearing before the Commission, or that the Commission refused to receive competent evidence offered by the party appealing, which, if true, would leave the order, rule, or regulation appealed from without substantial basis in fact.
. . ” (Emphasis supplied).
We must presume our Legislature in enacting this statute was aware of Art. 9 § 20 and construed it to allow the type review by this court provided for in the statute:
Further § 112 is even more explicit:
“Any person affected by any Legislative or administrative order of the Commission shall have the right at any time to apply to the Commission to repeal, amend, modify, or supplement the same. Such application shall be in writing and shall be heard as expeditiously as possible after notice of the hearing thereon shall have been given in the manner provided by Section 14 of this Act. An appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court from any order made by the Commission in any such proceedings or from the refusal of the Commission to make any order petitioned for therein, in the same manner and within the same time in which other appeals are authorized to be taken by the provisions of this Act, and, on any such appeal, the Supreme Court may affirm the order of the Commission, or the Commission’s action in refusing to make the order petitioned for, or may itself make the order which the Commission should have made, or remand the cause to the Commission with directions to make such order as the Supreme Court may determine should have been made.” (Emphasis supplied).
Although Art. 9 § 20 became law after § 112 was enacted, § 112 has not been repealed. Further repeal by implication is not favored and an earlier statute will not be repealed unless there is irreconcilable conflict.2 In my opinion Art. 9 § 20 was not intended to repeal § 112 nor do they conflict. Neither do I believe § 113 violates Art. 9 § 20. The power of this Court to reverse and remand a decision of the Corporation Commission encompasses the right to modify said order and make it that which Commission should have made.
I am authorized to state that Justice Hodges and Justice Barnes concur in the views herein expressed.

. State v. Grand River Dam Authority, 195 Okl. 8, 154 P.2d 946 (1945).

. Gulf Oil Co. v. Woodson, 505 P.2d 484 (Okl.1972).