Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1940 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN -c.NAm -- Zoaorable Roland Bayd County AttoMey Collln co?Uat~ McXlnney, Texas . may alno establish and mints13 ~usoums, including the emotion of the neoeasary build-s and other iaprorements,in their own countlea or in any other oounty or olty in the United States, whers fairs of expoaitlonsam beiq held. *ssotion 2. The Commissioners* Courts of tha reap4otlr4 oounti4s or ths con4l48lon4rs~ Court8 of 30ncsabl.s Roland Soyd, Fag4 2 ssveral counties may cooperate vitb 4aoh other and partiolpat4 with looal Interedts In -providing for the ereotion of suoh buildings and other in- ?rovements as may be n4oessary to aocoapllsh the _Ourpoae z4ntIoned In Seotlon 1, of this Act and for the a4mmbling, er4oting and malntaIalng oi suoh hortloulttaraland agricultural, livestook and sin4ral exhibits, and th4 4x341~444 inoldent there- to. -, ~Ssotlon 3, All inoorpmt~d oitI4s, wster i?;lprwemnt districts may ooop4rats with the Com- mlselon4rs* Court8 of ruoh counties ror the pur- posea etated In S4otlon 1, and Seotlon 2 of this Aot aad approprIat4 mniea In providing for such exhibits, eatabllshing and maiutaining 8-h museums, and in th4 er4ctlon of such building8 and tiprove- 35ats, and the assssbling, emoting and mintainfng of such hcrtioultural, aerioultural, livestook end xkteral exhlblte,~ Sections 51 and 52, Artiole III, of the Stats Con- etitutlon read In part ES follows: *Section 31. Th4 Legislature ahall bava no power to m4k4 any grant or authoriza the ma‘Zi.ng of any grant of publio ~onsys to any lndltidual, associatIon,o$ lndIvldual4, nuniclpal or other cor- ~oratlons whatso4ver. . . .* -340t10n 52. The LegIslatum shall have no power to authorize any oouoty, aity or town or other political corporation or subdivision of the State to le2d Its credit or to grant publfo money or thing of vatu4 (~31~4) in aid of, or to any individual, as40- oiation or corporation whateuever. . . .(I, The -movisiona of the Constitution above quoted speoi- iicelly gohlbit the oommiseionars * court from !aa.icing a donation or,oontributlon to any asaoois tion such as the CDllin Ccuntp Free Balr Xssooiatlon. It is to 54 noted that Section 1 or Article 23726, supm , provides tkistthe various oo=Clfssion4rs’ courts ZEN prcvide ior 83 amma er2ibit cf korticult'xrsland agricsl- rural ,m,Oucts, live stock and tineral pzcducts sti such otkr ;rxlucts as are of Interest t3 the commnitp. EoPlsv4r)t!l1s honorable Roland Boyd, Page 3 statute dose not a~thor1z.ethe comnl.ssfcnerslccurt to cake a donation or oon:.rlbutlcn'4 any individual, assoaietlon, or corporation whatsoever. %e are 0r the o~lnlon thst a contrl- butlon or donation by the oamadasioners~court as aboie mm- tloned to t-38Couin County Free Fair Asooofatlon is prohlblted by the protialons or the Constitution heretofore 3antlomd. Thererare, your question Is reapsotrully ansnered in the nega- tive. TrrutIng tht th4 r0mg0ing fully answers your In- quiry, we are Yours ven truly A%:BBB