Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFICE OF THE AmORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN aonorable J. Watt Page Bdjutant 6eneral AUS~IXI,Texas mar siri appropriatemcmep the ajproprlatlon ansuered In the nega- he Cwernor to aroate such aamnts as are maeas- the D0parta0nt *untt1 t&3 ubioh ax-0attaahed. *The Leg;islature. . . &all not . . . grant, w appropriationor other&es, any awxmt of money out of the Treasury of the State, eo any Mioldual, on~a cllsm, real or p3tQnded, ohon tho fume shall not hare boon prwidod for by pm-existing lau. , . .* klenorabloJ. Watt l?ago- page 2 A public oPfi.asrwhose appropriationsare ex- hausted can not bind the State for subsequentexpendi- tures. ilisauthority to contraat is only wfthln (;ho limit of the Punds which the Legislaturehas authorized hl.Iz to QxpcIKl. Any grcntor expQzldltureis wit>out nuthor- ity of 1OW. Axpaniilturee in exm3ss UP those authorized i.nadvance by the Logislaturo am made without authority o flp r o -e x is la tlu w*, g nndu nder sc o tio4 n 4,Artio10 a of the Poxas Constitution,the Leglelature can not qpo- priate mnays to pay such olaime~ Fort Worth Cnvalry Club w. Sheppard (sup. ct.) 83 a. w. (2) 660. Perhaps theee rules zssymem harsh. nut It rmst be rwed that the people of Texa8 hare eossdttad to the Leg.tellaturs, rather to the eUbOrdfnat8 oifloero rud departments of the gwsrxt@rrt,the authority to datera&e hmr much money should be expended for carrying OR the.funo- fLons of gwerlmlent. It is uithan the pa?mr of the Legs-' letura to pml.d0 additional funds immdiately for the aon- Unucd operrtlan of your Deportma& bJ cmrgeuoy legtola- ti0n. U It aousidore thst ddftlonsl funds IWO wc0st3ary, douwsoes it rrilldo so. Failure to prcride mc.h ftwls will ref'leat,of courso, the &ul.gnentof the Legislature that additionalfunds are not ~%quWed. In either event, the Legielafuro~sdsaiipionis final. Thhetheory that the LegislaturO may not choose to pm&de imediate relief oan- not serve to justMy +iolatiion0P the provision of Artlale 4 381 or of Co nstitu tiQn, Ar tic le a , swm.ou a l