Petition for Writ of Quo Warranto - Minnesota State Legislature

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nonpayment...,,113 it is, nevertheless, a policy decision for the legislature to make - to fund in whole, or in part, or not at all. Here, the district court must not fill the present void and must play no part in interfering with the legislature's appropriation power. 120. To the extent the Supremacy Clause prevails in these circumstances the Commissioner is legally obligated to spend the funds, but narrowly construed within his own right and certainly without the necessity of any District Court order. 121. In summary, there are certain circumstances that the Commissioner may disburse state funds without an annual appropriation by law. In all these instances, a court order is not required. Issuing such an order is an improper advisory opinion. 114 Without a justiciable controversy involving definite and concrete assertions ofrights on established f: h I h · . d" 115 acts t e ower court as no Juns lchon. 122. The only time the Court would have jurisdiction at the end ofthe 2011 fiscal biennium is ifthe Commissioner failed to disburse state funds in the categories mentioned above. Absence of an annual legislative appropriation, alone, is insufficient to confer subject matter jurisdiction to the Court. 113 d L . at 3, App. 243. 114 See Izaak Walton League ofAmerica Endowment, Inc. v. State Dep't ofNatural Res., 252 N.W.2d 852, 854 (Minn.1977). 115 St. Paul Area Chamber ofCommerce v. Marzitelli, 258 N.W.2d 585,587-88 (Minn. 1977). 48
C. The Attorney General's "core functions" approach is not limited to the three exceptions to the annual legislative appropriations requirement - thereby violating the Minnesota Constitution, statutes and the political question doctrine. 123. The fatal flaw in the 201 f Ramsey County District Court proceeding is that the Attorney General's and Governor's "core functions" approach is not limited to the exceptions noted to the annual legislative appropriation requirement explained above: Minnesota Constitutional requirements; statutes making perennial appropriations; and federal mandates. 124..Instead; the"Attorney General proceeds on a theory that the Minnesota Constitution requires that every "core function" have an annual legislative appropriation or the Court needs to issue an order disbursing the funds anyway. There is no constitutional authority for this position. The Attorney General's memorandum lists what she identifies as "core functions" which are constitutionally required to be funded even absent an annual legislative appropriation is misplaced despite the hardship it might cause: • Caring for mentally ill patients • Securing 9,000 criminal offenders held in prisons • Supervising 20,000 criminal offenders on supervised release • Securing 616 sex offenders who are civilly committed • Caring for 754 veterans in the care ofthe State's five veterans' homes • No State Troopers available to patrol and keep safe Minnesota highways 49
Page 2 and 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS PURPOSE OF PETITI
Page 4 and 5: C. The Attorney General's "core fun
Page 6 and 7: INTRODUCTION 1. Minnesota's executi
Page 8 and 9: JURISDICTION The Supreme Court has
Page 10 and 11: ISSUES PRESENTED 1. Article XI requ
Page 12 and 13: STATEMENT OF FACTS Minnesota's fail
Page 14 and 15: 15 fd. Governor vetoed in 2011, Min
Page 16: Moneys appropriated in 2009 Minn. L
Page 19 and 20: 29. For instance, on May 21,2001, t
Page 21 and 22: 38. Similar to 2001, the court orde
Page 23 and 24: exigent ofcircumstances" to justify
Page 25 and 26: an appropriation by law. The need f
Page 27 and 28: lost because the judiciary has usur
Page 29 and 30: The Court stated that a single legi
Page 31 and 32: generallY recognized that a taxpaye
Page 33 and 34: While the consent ofthe attorney ge
Page 35 and 36: circumstances test, however, do not
Page 37 and 38: General Assembly enacted an executi
Page 40 and 41: the constitution grants the Governo
Page 42: fund that state program. But what c
Page 45 and 46: Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, p. 19
Page 47 and 48: Commissioner is to credit revenue f
Page 49 and 50: Supremacy Clause applies. However,
Page 51: 118. For example, the state is requ
Page 56 and 57: 131. State statutes are explicit in
Page 58 and 59: appropriate state funds. Because th
Page 60 and 61: PRAYER FOR RELIEF For the foregoing

Petition for Writ of Quo Warranto - Minnesota State Legislature

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