Court Opinion

ID: 9654271
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 18:12:19.743286+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:07.482968
License: Public Domain

BARDGETT, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. I acknowledge that credible arguments can be made on both sides of the question presented by this case. In this case the municipal corporation — the school district — did utilize public funds to pay the premiums attending the purchase of the public liability insurance which would afford protection to the school district in case of suits in tort. Section 71.185, RSMo 1978, in my opinion, authorizes a municipal corporation to utilize public funds to purchase liability insurance if the municipal corporation chooses to do so. It enables that type of entity to waive governmental immunity to the extent of the insurance coverage purchased. I believe this type of law should be given the broadest interpretation, and, in the context of this statute, the term municipality should be interpreted to include any municipal corporation which had the benefit of governmental immunity from tort liability at the time the statute was passed. In this way the municipal corporation and the public get the full benefit of the expenditure of public funds by the municipal corporation, and there is no imposition of liability which was not foreseen and agreed to by the school district.
I therefore dissent.