Court Opinion

ID: 9606507
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:50:25.309904+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:57:16.290812
License: Public Domain

THOMAS, Justice,
dissenting.
I must dissent from the disposition of this case made in the majority opinion. The majority has gone too far afield in endeavoring to overrule Haddenham v. Bd. of County Comm’rs of Carbon County, 679 P.2d 429 (Wyo.1984), and Gueke v. Bd. of County Comm’rs for Teton County, 728 P.2d 167 (Wyo.1986). The majority opinion departs so far from the issues presented in this controversy as to create an advisory opinion. Our jurisprudential rule is that we do not furnish advisory opinions. E.g., Wyoming Health Services, Inc. v. Deatherage, 773 P.2d 156 (Wyo.1989); State Bd. of Equalization v. Jackson Hole Ski Corp., 745 P.2d 58 (Wyo.1987); Brad Ragan Tire Co. v. Gearhart Indus., 744 P.2d 1125 (Wyo.1987); Graham v. Wyoming Peace Officer Standards and Training Comm’n., 737 P.2d 1060 (Wyo.1987); Kurpjuweit v. Northwestern Dev. Co., Inc., 708 P.2d 39 (Wyo.1985); Reno Livestock Corp. v. Sun Oil Co. (Delaware), 638 P.2d 147 (Wyo.1981); Knudson v. Hilzer, 551 P.2d 680 (Wyo.1976); Wallace v. Casper Adjustment Serv., 500 P.2d 72 (Wyo.1972). Cf. Tobin v. Pursel, 539 P.2d 361 (Wyo.1975); Cranston v. Thomson, 530 P.2d 726 (Wyo.1975); West v. Willey, 453 P.2d 883 (Wyo.1969).
The appeal by Holmes and J & G Wholesale to this court presented issues relating only to unconstitutional vagueness in violation of the due process provisions of the Wyoming Constitution and the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The district court specifically refused to certify to this court the question of the authority of the county commissioners to regulate fireworks. The appeal of Laramie County assumes the existence of authority, and it merely attacks the ruling of the district court that Laramie County had no authority to impose sanctions for violation of its regulation. Using these issues as a premise for overruling prior case law is peculiarly ill-advised. It may be that, in a proper case, it would be appropriate to reconsider the question of authority of the counties to regulate fireworks, but this is not such a case.
I also think the Legislature should reconsider the amendment to Wyo.Stat. § 35-10-205 adopted in Ch. 141, 1993 Wyo.Sess. Laws. If the majority correctly has overruled Haddenham and Gueke, I cannot discern any authorization to the counties to regulate in the amended statúte. A statement that the statute does not prohibit the imposition of further regulation or prohibítion by county resolution is not an appro*1144priate way to grant authority to the counties to exercise the police power. Such authority should be extended affirmatively and doing so by virtue of a negative pregnant does not suffice.