McMahan v. Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas

499 S.W.2d 56, 255 Ark. 108, 1973 Ark. LEXIS 1324
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedSeptember 24, 1973
Docket73-55
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 499 S.W.2d 56 (McMahan v. Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McMahan v. Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas, 499 S.W.2d 56, 255 Ark. 108, 1973 Ark. LEXIS 1324 (Ark. 1973).

Opinion

Carleton Harris, Chief Justice.

This litigation involves an effort by appellants to obtain the names of those persons' who were given complimentary tickets' for all football games participated in by the University of Arkansas, in this State, during the Fall periods of 1969, 1970 and 1971; also, the number of complimentary tickets received by each of those persons. Suit was instituted in the Pulaski Circuit Court seeking to mandamus the Board of Trustees of the University to furnish this information. It might be here stated that other information relative to complimentary tickets was sought in the complaint, but all information has been furnished except the names of the recipients of complimentary tickets. The trial court, after hearing evidence, held that the lists of persons receiving complimentary football tickets to the games played in this State during the years 1969, 1970 and 1971 “are not public records as contemplated by those statutes [Freedom of Information Act], not being by law required to be kept and, further, plaintiffs making no showing of any legitimate personal interest in themselves or the class they represent or legitimate public interest ■being served in said items being made available to them for copying and inspection, that the petition filed herein be dismissed.” From this judgment, appellants bring this appeal. For reversal, it is asserted that the trial court erred in dismissing the petition. A second point is asserted, viz., that the trial court erred in refusing to enforce a request for Subpoenas Duces Tecum.

Appellees set out seven points, i.e., seven reasons, why the judgment of the trial court should be sustained; 1 while more than one appear to contain merit, there is no need to discuss them in this opinion since we are of the view that point “C’V in itself, precludes appellants from prevailing, i.e., the Freedom of Information statute is inapplicable to the lists in issue.

Appellants’ entire position is based upon Act 93 of 1967 (Ark. Stat. Ann. § 12-2801 — 07 [Repl. 1968]), and they argue that, under its provisions, they are entitled to the information sought. Appellants first refer to the “preamble” of the act, but the reference actually is to a portion of the title, as supporting their position. This contention need not be discussed for we have said many times that the title of an act is in no sense controlling, and is only properly considered if the act itself is ambiguous. In Roscoe v. Water and Sewer Improvement District No. 1, 216 Ark. 109, 224 S.W. 2d 556, we said:

“The title of an Act is in no sense controlling, and, like a preamble, or emergency clause, it may be looked to for the purpose of ascertaining a meaning not fully expressed in the Act proper, yet — as we have so often said — where there is doubt as to the legislative intent, due either to ambiguous phrases or a suggested word omission, and where the missing word can be appropriately supplied by determining from the title, preamble, or other collateral phrases just what the lawmakers intended to accomplish, it is then proper to consider any or all of these collateral aids.”

Since we find no ambiguity, there is no reason to consider the preamble, or the tide.

Pertinent portions of § 12-2803 and 2804 provide as follows:

‘“Public records’ are records made, maintained or kept by any public or governmental body, board, bureau, commission or agency of the State or any political subdivision of the State, or organization, corporation or agency, supported in whole or in part by public funds, or expending public funds. ***
“12-2804. Except as otherwise specifically provided by laws now in effect, or laws hereafter specifically enacted to provide otherwise, all state, county, township, municipal and school district records which by law are required to be kept and maintained [our emphasis] shall be open to inspection and copying by any citizen of the State of Arkansas during the regular business hours of the custodian of the records.”

Webster’s New International Dictionary defines public record as “A record required by law to be made and kept; a record made by a public officer in the course of Iris legal duty to make it; a record filed in a public office and open to public inspection.”

This definition is the general definition of a public record, but, of course, statutory requirements are paramount. It is here contended that the statutory definition of public records makes the records sought subject to public inspection, but if the language of § 12-2803 at first blush lends itself to this construction, such an interpretation quickly vanishes upon reading § 12-2804. Of course, a statute must be read in its entirety to reach a proper interpretation.

In McCaa Chevrolet Company v. Bounds, Admr., 207 Ark. 1043, 183 S.W. 2d 932, we said:

“In ascertaining the intention of the legislature recourse may be had to the entire act under consideration. ‘The different parts of a statute reflect light upon each other . . . Hence, a statute should be construed in its entirety, and as a whole.’ 50 Am Jur. 350. ‘The intention of the lawmaker is to be deduced from a view of every material part of the statute’.” [Citing numerous cases].

It is at once apparent from even a cursory reading of § 12-2804 that the records which the General Assembly had in mind are those mentioned in the italicized phrase “which by law are required to be kept and maintained.” The Freedom of Information Act does not itself provide that any particular records shall be kept; it only provides that records which are required by some statute (other than the Freedom of Information Act) to be made and kept, shall be open to public inspection. There is no semblance of ambiguity in this provision and whether the statute be construed narrowly or broadly, the italicized phrase can only mean one thing, viz., that the Freedom of Information Act, as far as inspection of records is concerned, applies only to those records which by statute are required to be kept and maintained. Appellant has cited no statute, nor do we know of any, that requires the University of Arkansas, or its Athletic Department, to keep and maintain a record of complimentary tickets given, either the number of same, or the names of the persons receiving them. It is true that such a record is kept and appellants argue that the act permits public inspection of any record which is maintained or kept by any public or governmental body, board, bureau, commission or agency of the State. In other words, it is contended that any time such a State agency keeps a record, though not required by law, it immediately becomes subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. It is apparent, from what has been said, that we do not agree with this position. Of course, the athletic accounts, including the number of complimentary tickets given, and the lists of names, are available to the auditors, both for an interior audit by the University, and for the State Legislative Audit Division, but this does not mean that the lists are a public record, and the fact that an agency may have confidential records is recognized by statute. Ark. Stat. Ann. § 13-1505 (Repl. 1968) sub-section (D) provides in part:

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Bluebook (online)
499 S.W.2d 56, 255 Ark. 108, 1973 Ark. LEXIS 1324, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcmahan-v-board-of-trustees-of-the-university-of-arkansas-ark-1973.