Brown v. Firestone

• Decision Date: 13 March 1980
• Docket Number: No. 57959,57959
• Citation: 382 So.2d 654
• Parties: J. Hyatt BROWN, etc., et al., Petitioners, v. George FIRESTONE, etc., et al., Respondents.
• Court: Florida Supreme Court

Page 654

382 So.2d 654

J. Hyatt BROWN, etc., et al., Petitioners, v. George FIRESTONE, etc., et al., Respondents.

No. 57959.

Supreme Court of Florida.

March 13, 1980.

Talbot D'Alemberte and Donald M. Middlebrooks of Steel, Hector & Davis, Miami, and William T. Ryan, Sharyn L. Smith and James E. Eaton, House of Representatives, Tallahassee, for petitioners.

Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., and J. Kendrick Tucker, Deputy Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, for Secretary of State.

S. Craig Kiser, Deputy Gen. Counsel and Michael Basile, Asst. Gen. Counsel, Tallahassee, for Comptroller of the State of Florida.

John K. Aurell, Gen. Counsel, Tallahassee, for Governor Graham.

Chesterfield Smith and Bill McBride of Holland & Knight, Tampa, Larry Levy of Dickinson, Levy & Taylor, James R. Eddy, Pompano Beach, Donald H. Reed, Jr., Boca Raton, and Ralph Turlington, Commissioner of Education, Tallahassee, for amici curiae.

SUNDBERG, Justice.

By petition for writ of mandamus, Messrs. J. Hyatt Brown, Herbert F. Morgan, S. Curtis Kiser, and Ralph H. Haben, Jr., as citizens and taxpayers, question the constitutional validity of a number of Governor Bob Graham's vetoes of provisions of chapter 79-212, Laws of Florida, known as the General Appropriations Act of 1979. Nominal respondents are George Firestone, Secretary of State, and Gerald Lewis, Comptroller of the State of Florida. Governor Graham was added as party respondent on November 1, 1979. Petitioners seek a judicial determination invalidating the Governor's vetoes, and the issuance of an order requiring the Secretary of State to expunge the vetoes from the official records of the state and preventing the Comptroller from disbursing state funds based on such vetoes. Jurisdiction is asserted under article V, section 3(b)(5), Florida Constitution.

After receiving the Governor's budget recommendations and conducting hearings, drafting bills and conferring through a conference committee, the Florida Legislature adopted by vote of each house Senate Bill 1297, now enacted into law as chapter 79-212. On June 28, 1979, the Governor filed with the Secretary of State his official message approving the General Appropriations Act subject to certain vetoes made under authority of article III, section 8, Florida Constitution. The vetoes here under consideration and the provisions in the Appropriations Act to which they presumably relate follow, numbered 1 through 6:

                No. 1                        Appropriations Act, p. 33
                -----                        Department of Corrections
                 Major Institutions
                  Provided that the department shall phase back the inmate count
                  at Glades Correctional Institution to the design capacity of 609
                  inmates prior to June 30, 1980.  Except, however, that should
                  the statewide inmate population exceed maximum capacity then
                  Glades Correctional Institution may exceed design capacity
                250  Salaries and Benefits                  Positions       6,288       6,459
                       From General Revenue Fund ..................... 72,614,708  74,029,307
                       From Correctional Work Programs Trust Fund ..... 3,310,676   3,343,857
                       From Grants and Donations Trust Fund ............. 967,100     969,465
                       From Operating Trust Fund ......................... 84,675      84,700
                

                Governor's Veto Message, p. 6
                On page 33 after item 249, under the heading, Major Institutions, is a
                        proviso which deals with the prison population at Glades Correctional
                        Institution.  Since this proviso relates to an executive management
                        issue and is on a subject other than appropriations, which is contrary
                        to Article III, Section 12 of the State Constitution, this proviso, on
                        page 33 after item 249, under the heading, Major Institutions, which
                        reads as follows, is hereby vetoed
                

"Provided that the department shall phase back the inmate count at Glades Correctional Institution to the design capacity of 609 inmates prior to June 30, 1980. Except, however, that should the statewide inmate population exceed maximum capacity then Glades Correctional Institution may exceed design capacity."

                No. 2                         Appropriations Act, p. 69
                -----                University of South Florida Medical Center
                                                                          Fiscal    Fiscal Year
                                                                           Year
                                                                        1979-1980    1980-1981
                ITEM
                University of South Florida Medical Center
                380      Salaries and Benefits        Positions                540          555
                         From General Revenue Fund .................... 10,993,669   11,662,212
                         From Operation and Maintenance Trust Fund ........ 48,213       43,412
                381    Other Personal Services
                         From General Revenue Fund ....................... 810,843      923,353
                         From Medical Center--Professional Medical
                          Liability Self Insurance Trust Fund ............. 25,000       25,000
                         From Operation and Maintenance Trust Fund ........ 53,278       56,208
                382    Expenses
                         From General Revenue Fund ..................... 4,514,259    4,681,139
                         From Medical Center--Professional Medical
                          Liability Self Insurance Trust Fund ............ 168,500      168,500
                         From Operation and Maintenance Trust Fund ....... 609,049      658,621
                383    Operating Capital Outlay
                         From General Revenue Fund ....................... 793,190      827,285
                         From Operation and Maintenance Trust Fund ........ 73,805      150,168
                Provided, however, $2,613,142 appropriated in item 382 in each
                fiscal year of the biennium is for the purpose of the teaching
                hospital program
                Governor's Veto Message, p. 12
                

Included in item 382 on page 69 is $2,613,142 for each year of the biennium from the General Revenue Fund for the teaching hospital program. This is set out in the proviso following item 383. At the time of establishment of the USF Medical School, it was understood by all concerned that a full program of medical education could be achieved by reliance on the facilities available in the Tampa Bay community hospitals and the establishment of a state supported teaching hospital would not be necessary. Therefore, the proviso following item 383, on page 69, which constitutes an appropriation, and reads as follows, is hereby vetoed:

"Provided, however, $2,613,142 appropriated in item 382 in each fiscal year of the biennium is for the purpose of the teaching hospital program."

                No. 3
                                        Appropriations Act, p. 152
                -----
                                          Division of Corporation
                Corporations, Division of
                1131         Salaries and Benefits     Positions           108          108
                              From General Revenue Fund .............. 957,613      978,882
                Provided, that in addition to the funds appropriated in item 1131
                for salaries and benefits for the Bureau of Uniform Commercial
                Code, if HB 1643 or SB 1256 is enacted into law, the Bureau of
                Uniform Commercial Code is specifically authorized to utilize up
                to $100,000 of the deficiency fund upon approval of the Depart--
                ment of Administration.  Such deficiency funds may be used to
                supplement the positions provided by this bill and shall be approv--
                ed by the Department of Administration, upon a showing of need
                by the director of the Division of Corporations based upon the fol--
                lowing schedule: For every additional 5,000 Uniform Commercial
                Code documents filed in fiscal year 1980-81 above those documents
                filed in fiscal year 1979-80, one additional position
                1132         Other Personal Services
                              From General Revenue Fund ............... 35,000       35,000
                1133         Expenses
                              From General Revenue Fund .............. 273,770      276,672
                1134         Operating Capital Outlay
                              From General Revenue Fund ............... 65,574       45,441
                1135         Data Processing Services
                              From Genreal Revenue Fund .............. 677,051      608,101
                      Governor's Veto Message, pp. 14-15
                

On page 152 following item 1131 is a proviso which reserves the use of $100,000 of the Deficiency Appropriation to the Department of State Division of Corporations. This proviso is contrary to Section 216.231, Florida Statutes, which provides procedures for the release of Deficiency Funds upon approval of the Governor and three other members of the Administration Commission. My budget recommendation provided for a Deficiency Fund of $1,461,130; however, the legislature only appropriated $400,000. It would not be prudent to reserve a portion of this deficiency appropriation and further limit the ability of the Administration Commission to respond to agency needs. If the Division's workload should increase as is anticipated by the proviso, a deficiency request could be submitted to the Administration Commission for review on its own merits. Therefore, this proviso, on page 152 following item 1131, which reads as follows, is hereby vetoed:

"Provided, that in addition to the funds appropriated in Item 1131 for Salaries and Benefits for the Bureau of Uniform Commercial Code, if House Bill 1643 or Senate Bill 1256 is enacted into law, the Bureau of Uniform Commercial Code is specifically authorized to utilize up to $100,000 of the Deficiency Fund upon approval of the Department of Administration. Such deficiency funds may be used to supplement the portions provided by this bill and shall be approved by the Department of Administration, upon a showing of need by the Director of the Division of Corporations based upon the following schedule: for every additional 5,000 Uniform Commercial Code documents filed in Fiscal Year 1980-81 above those documents filed in Fiscal Year 1979-80, one additional position."

                No. 4
                                          Appropriations Act, p. 186
                -----
                                       Division of Recreation and Parks
                 Natural Resources, Department of Recreation and
                 Parks, Division of
                   6G

...