Ethics Commission v. Cullison

1993 OK 37, 850 P.2d 1069, 64 O.B.A.J. 978, 1993 Okla. LEXIS 43, 1993 WL 89711
Supreme Court of Oklahoma·Decided March 30, 1993·No. 79903·Published·Cited by 108 cases

Opinions

SUMMERS, Justice.

In September of 1990 the people of Oklahoma voted to adopt a new Article to the State Constitution by way of Initiative Petition No. 341 and State Question No. 627. Thus Article 29 came into existence as a framework for a fresh scheme of ethical standards to be administered by a constitutionally created Ethics Commission. The Ethics Commission of the State of Oklahoma petitions this Court to assume original jurisdiction and issue a declaratory judgment. It seeks a ruling that House Joint Resolution 1077 of the Second Regular Session of the Forty-Third Legislature is unconstitutional in large part. H.J.R. 1077 contains 49 sections, and the Commission argues that sections 2-49 inclusive are contrary to the new Article 29. H.J.R. 1077, 1992 Okla.Sess.Laws 2207-2270.

In 1991 the Ethics Commission performed its constitutionally required duty, and promulgated rules governing the ethical conduct of certain public officials and employees. The Legislature in its 1992 session “disapproved” those rules, and the Commission does not question the validity of that disapproval. But the Legislature also enacted comprehensive statutory provisions governing the same subject matter as in the disapproved Commission’s rules. The Commission argues that the Legislature usurped the function of the Commission by unilaterally creating the Legislature’s own version of ethics rules in the form of statutes. The Commission also raises constitutional objections to the substance of several of the enactments as well [1072]*1072as to the funding of the Commission by the Legislature.

The Respondents, Robert V. Cullison and Glen D. Johnson, are sued in their official capacities as President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate and Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. They contend that the Court should not, and cannot, assume original jurisdiction to decide the controversy. They also contend that the Legislature possesses the authority to disapprove of rules of the Ethics Commission, adopt ethics rules in the form of statutes, and thereby bypass Ethics Commission rulemaking-authority. State Senator Darryl F. Roberts filed a petition to intervene. He argues that this case should be dismissed upon the ground that the Legislature and its members are immune from suit, and that the court is without jurisdiction to decide the controversy. Certain Legislators appear as amici curiae. They are Ernest J. Istook, Jr., Frank Davis, Wanda Jo Peltier, Charles Key, Larry Hansen, Robert Worthen, Joan Greenwood, Grover Campbell, Bill Graves, Ed Apple, Tim Pope, Carolyn Coleman, Elmer Maddux, Charles Ford, Mike Fair, Helen Cole, Howard Hendrick, Mark Synder, Don Rubottom, Tony Caldwell, and Leonard Sullivan. They argue in support of the Commission that H.J.R. 1077 is unconstitutional. Amici curiae Common Cause of Oklahoma, League of Women Voters, Consumer Watch Committee of Oklahoma, Inc., Okla-homans for Integrity in Government, and Mexican American Political Association de Oklahoma also appear in support of the Commission that the Resolution is unconstitutional. Attorney General Susan B. Loving appears as amicus curiae and urges that the Court does not have jurisdiction.

The Commission attempts to invoke our original jurisdiction pursuant to Okla. Const. Art. 7 § 4 on the basis of this court’s superintending control jurisdiction,1 on the doctrine of publici juris, and upon the circumstances of this dispute as being one between two powers of State government, each imbued with constitutionally vested authority. We find that the case before us presents one of those rare circumstances where this Court should grant a form of declaratory relief. We assume original jurisdiction in part, grant the request for declaratory relief in part, and decline to assume jurisdiction in part.

I.

The usual remedies employed by this Court in exercising superintending control are the constitutionally specified writs of mandamus, prohibition, certiorari, habe-as corpus, and quo warranto. Okla. Const. Art. 7 § 4; Butler v. Breckinridge, 442 P.2d 313, 318 (Okl.1967); Board of Commissioners of Harmon County v. Keen, 194 Okl. 593, 153 P.2d 483, 485 (1944). The Commission stated at oral argument that none of the constitutionally listed writs are proper for this controversy, and requested a declaratory judgment. The Oklahoma Declaratory Judgments Act, 12 O.S.1991 § 1651-1657, provides no remedy to the Commission, as that Act expressly pertains to proceedings brought in the District Court. 12 O.S.1991 § 1651.

The argument that this Court can not exercise jurisdiction, and that the Commission has no legal right to vindicate, all because there is no common law remedy2 [1073]*1073for this particular controversy finds some support in common law prior to 1848, but it has no place in contemporary jurisprudence. Although Bracton argued as early as the thirteenth century that a remedy should exist for every wrong, the common law’s system of particular writs and forms of action resulted in the legal remedy defining both the jurisdiction of the court and the rights of the parties in a particular case. See T. Plucknett, A Concise History of the Common Law, 354 (5th ed. 1956); J. Koffler and A. Reppy, Handbook of Common Law Pleading, 64 (1969). But forms of action have long been abolished in this State,3 and our fundamental law indicates that judicially cognizable wrongs are not defined by particular remedies. Okla. Const. Art. 2 § 6.4 Consistent with this authority we have explained that this court’s superintending control is not limited to the constitutionally specified writs of Okla. Const. Art. 7 § 4. Board of Commissioners of Harmon County v. Keen, 194 Okl. 593, 153 P.2d 483, 485 (1944). See also State ex rel, Lemke v. District Court of Stutsman County, 49 N.D. 27, 186 N.W. 381, 386 (1921); Attorney General v. Railroad Companies, 35 Wis. 425, 515 (1874). Similarly, the question of whether a court should grant declaratory relief is not a question of the power or jurisdiction of the court to grant the relief, but the appropriateness of that particular procedure or remedy for the particular justiciable controversy. Conoco, Inc. v. State Depart. of Health, 651 P.2d 125, 131 (Okla.1982); Sheldon v. Powell, 99 Fla. 782, 128 So. 258, 262-263 (1930); Guaranty Trust Co. of New York v. Hannay, (C.A.) [1915] 2 K.B. 536. See also 1 W. Anderson, Actions for Declaratory Judgments, 2-11 (2d ed. 1951); E. Borchard, Declaratory Judgments, 233 (2d ed. 1941). This Court has the jurisdiction to provide declaratory relief so as to afford a party a means to vindicate a judicially cognizable interest.

We have in the past provided a remedy when a branch of state government brings a legal claim alleging that an “intolerable conflict” exists with a co-ordinate branch of state government amounting to governmental gridlock. Swezey v. Fisher, 484 P.2d 501, 503 (Okla.1971). See also Moore-Norman Area Vocational Tech. Sch. Dist. v. Board of Trustees, 519 P.2d 497 (Okla.1974). We have further stated that a branch of government will not be permitted to destroy itself, and that this court must utilize an “appropriate remedy sufficient to preserve it." Davis v. McCarty, 388 P.2d 480, 488 (Okla.1964). The Commission claims that an intolerable conflict exists with the Legislature, and that the Commission’s implementation of H.J.R. 1077 would effectively destroy the Commission.

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Ethics Commission v. Cullison, 1993 OK 37, 850 P.2d 1069, 64 O.B.A.J. 978, 1993 Okla. LEXIS 43, 1993 WL 89711 (Okla. 1993).

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