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The Honorable Bill Clayton page 3 (LA No. 90)
Article 3, section 51 of the Texas Constitution provides in part: The Legislature shall have no power to make any grant or authorize the making of any grant of public moneys to aty individual We held in Attorney General Opinion H-403 (1974) that section 51 is not violated when an expenditure is made "for a proper public purpose if the consideration or benefit to the public is adequate. " See also Davis v. City cl Lubbock, 326 S. W. 2d 699 (Tex. Sup. 1959) State v. City of Austin, supra; Barrington v. Cokinos, 338 S. W. 2d 133(Tcx. Sup. 1960). We believe House Bill 570 to be clearly addressed to a proper public purpose. See Davis v. City of Taylor, 67 S. W. Zd 1033, 1034 (Tex. Sup. 1934); Attorney General Opinion H-403 (1974), H-257 (1974), H-109 (1973). As previously noted we also believe there to be adequate consideration in this instance. (Consequently, in our opinion House Bi. 570 does not violate article 3, section 51 of the Texas Constitution. In our opinion, House Bill 570 does not violate the provisions of section 51 or 55 of article 3 of the Texas Constitution. You have not mentioned and we are not aware of any other provision of the Constitution which might be violated by the bill. Very truly yours, OHN L. HILL Attorney General of Texas DAVID . KEN ALL, First Assistant C. ROBERT HEATH, Chairman Opinion Committee ig