Court Opinion

ID: 9616193
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 04:44:05.66661+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:03:55.939111
License: Public Domain

BURKE, J.
I dissent. When this court declared invalid on the grounds of overbreadth and vagueness the Alameda County charter provision (§41) which was involved in Fort (Fort v. Civil Service Com. (1964) 61 Cal.2d 331 [38 Cal. Rptr. 625, 392 P.2d 385]), we tacitly approved the Government Code provisions (including § 3205) which the majority opinion would now declare to be unconstitutional. The opinion in Fort explicitly specifies (p. 340) that “It should be noted that this is not an area in which invalidation of a [county charter] provision will eliminate the only legislation governing an important subject since the Legislature in 1963 enacted provisions applicable to Alameda County which relate to political activities by local public employees,” citing Government Code sections 3201-3205, found in Statutes 1963, chapter 2000, pages 4078-4080. Fort further points out (fn. 5 on p. 340 of 61 Cal.2d) that “The 1963 legislation applies uniformly to all officers and employees of a ‘local agency, ’ including charter as well as noneharter counties and cities, and it restricts political activities in a much narrower manner than does section 41 of the charter. ” (Italics added.)
A mere reading of the 1963 legislation demonstrates the correctness of the statement just quoted. Section 3201 sets forth definitions. Section 3202 prohibits the knowing solicitation or receiving by an officer or employee of a local agency, from *512other officers or employees thereof or from those on its employment lists, of political funds or contributions. Section 3203 forbids local agency officers and employees from permitting the use of agency property (with certain exceptions) for the purpose of making or giving notice of any political assessment, subscription or contribution.1 Section 3204 forbids one holding or seeking office or employment in a local agency from using or purporting to use the authority or influence thereof to bestow agency employment, promotion, etc., in return for political influence “or upon any other corrupt condition or consideration.” Section 3204.5 prohibits a local agency officer or employee from participating “in political activities of any kind while he is in uniform.” Section 3205 forbids an officer or employee of a local agency (except those holding the exempt positions) from taking active part in any campaign for or against any candidate, except himself, for an agency office, or for or against any ballot measure relating to the recall of any elected agency official.
Not only are the restrictions of these Government Code sections much narrower than those involved in Fort, but the conclusion appears inescapable that they “are not broader than are required to preserve the efficiency and integrity of” the public service—the standard which Fort approves. (P. 338 of 61 Cal.2d.) Moreover, I think it is well within the scope of legislative authority to conclude, as we must presume was done, that violation of the proscriptions of those sections would reasonably be calculated to impair the agency’s public service. And with respect to the case at hand, active participation by a local agency officer or employee for or against a ballot measure to recall another elected agency official is at least as likely as not to demoralize, impair and disrupt the efficiency and integrity of service. Plaintiff’s own complaint (first amended) rather cogently demonstrates this fact. She alleges that numerous employees of defendant district were members of the recall committee and that she was bringing action for their benefit as well as her own.2 It thus appears that the recall movement involved at least in part a struggle *513by the district employees to control policies which the law entrusts to the directors. How can it be thought that such internal strife among employees working shoulder to shoulder would fail to adversely affect the public service of this hospital district ?
To attempt to draw lines of authority in an effort to determine whether an employee is campaigning for or against “his own superior” would only further embarrass and disrupt the service which the public expects and demands from local agencies, but with no corresponding benefit to the employee in the protection of any overriding constitutional rights.
Also, it seems to me that this court should not now, after tacitly approving the 1963 legislation in Fort, undertake a piecemeal invalidation thereof with no evaluation or discussion of what effect such emasculation will have upon the remaining sections of the law, or upon the public service, or the morale, discipline or efficiency of the thousands of employees engaged by the public agencies at all levels of government in this state. That legislation, as Fort notes, applies uniformly to all officers and employees of local agencies, and was obviously enacted in a conscientious effort to reasonably proscribe improper political activities bearing upon or connected with the agency itself and its public service. The regulations prescribed in the law appear reasonable and restrained, and I believe should be upheld.
I agree that section 3205 of the Government Code by its language does apply to plaintiff. That section covers each “officer or employee whose position is not exempt from the operation of a civil service personnel or merit system of a local agency. ...” (Italics added.) The fact that a local agency, here defendant district, has not instituted a civil service or merit system would not standing alone render the positions of its employees “exempt from” the operation of such a system. Nor has any statutory or constitutional law been cited or discovered which would render the position of plaintiff exempt in advance from such a system if and when defendant district might adopt one. However, contrary to the majority opinion {ante, p. 510), I can perceive no analogy between Government Code section 3205 and Constitution article XXIY, section 4. That section of the Constitution deals only with officers and employees “of this State,” and cannot serve as the basis for defining the officers or employees “of a local *514agency” who are exempt from civil service within the meaning of section 3205.
Although the reference in defendant district’s 1964 directive to its employees to a “ballot measure pertaining to the . . . District” was apparently included in an effort to conform to the 1963 legislation on the political activities of local agency employees, we do not have before us a violation of that portion of the directive and so need not now determine its validity. Also, as noted hereinabove (fn. 1, ante), in 1965 the Legislature relaxed the political activity prohibitions with respect to certain ballot measures, and it must be presumed that the district will modify its approach accordingly.
I would affirm the judgment of dismissal.
McComb, J., concurred.

 Section 3206, added, in 1965, relaxes the prohibitions of sections 3202 and 3203 with respect to ballot measures relating to working conditions of local agency officers and employees. (Stats. 1965, ch. 16, p. 889, § 1.)

A further allegation of the complaint is that the terms and conditions of employment of various district employees, including plaintiff, are arrived at by negotiations between the district and three union locals. The union to which plaintiff belongs is alleged to be the Hospital and Institutional Workers Union, Local 250.