Missouri Attorney General Opinions

Opinion letter to The Honorable Jacqueline T. McGee

Deputy juvenile officers and juvenile detention facility personnel are not covered by the State Legal Expense Fund, Section 105.711, RSMo.

The State Auditor is authorized to audit the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit pursuant to Article IV, Section 13, Missouri Constitution, and Section 29.200, RSMo 1986.

Section 168.151, RSMo 1986, prohibits a school district from collecting from a teacher employed by the district tuition for a non-resident child of the teacher to attend school in the district.

(1) It would be a violation of Article , Section 6 of the Missouri Constitution, the nepotism provision, for the Ray County Public Administrator to retain in her official capacity her brother-in-law who is an attorney, and (2) it would not be a violation of Article , Section 6 of the Missouri Constitution or Sections 105.450 et seq., RSMo, for the public administrator to contract with an abstract corporation whose stock is wholly owned by her brother-in-law.

The same person may not simultaneously serve as a director of a fire protection district and as trustee of a village located within that fire protection district; however, an incumbent director of a fire protection district can be a candidate for the office of trustee of a village located within that fire protection district.

(1) Motor vehicle dealer bonds required by Section 301.560, RSMo Supp. 1989, do not provide coverage for activities occurring outside the State of Missouri; and (2) “any aggrieved party” as used in Section 301.560, RSMo Supp. 1989, includes licensed motor vehicle dealers and automobile auctions as well as purchasers.

Opinion letter to The Honorable Jean H. Mathews

Purchasers of property at third offering tax sales are entitled to receive a collector's deed without awaiting any period of redemption and are exempt from the requirements of Section 140.405, RSMo Supp. 1989.

Juvenile officers, appointed pursuant to Section 211.351, RSMo 1986, and funded by the State of Missouri pursuant to Section 211.393, RSMo Supp. 1989, are state employees for purposes of the workers' compensation laws; – however, other juvenile court personnel are not state employees for purposes of the workers' compensation laws.

Prosecution by the Dekalb County Prosecuting Attorney of correctional facility inmates who violate Missouri criminal statutes does not involve a new or increased activity or service for which state funds must be appropriated under Article X, Section 21, of the Missouri Constitution.

Opinion letter to Charles E. Kruse

A commissioner of the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority established under Sections 67.650 through 67.658, RSMo Supp. 1989, is not prohibited from serving as a member of the authority because he is employed by a securities firm submitting a proposal for underwriting bonds issued by the authority; however, such commissioner may not participate in the process of selecting the underwriter.

Opinion letter to The Honorable D. Blunt

The trustees of the Missouri Family Trust Fund are entitled to coverage by the State Legal Expense Fund as provided in Section 105.711, RSMo Supp. 1989.

A constitutional charter city pursuant to Section 91.600, RSMo 1986, may acquire lands by the power of eminent domain in a county other than the county where the city is situated to dam up a river to form a water reservoir as a source of water supply for the city.

Opinion letter to The Honorable D. Blunt

1) The City of Lakeview , a fourth class city of less than five hundred inhabitants, pursuant to Section 311.090, RSMo 1986, can hold an election on the question of whether the sale of intoxicating liquor, with certain exceptions, by the drink at retail for consumption on the premises where sold shall be permitted, 2) can regulate the sale of intoxicating liquor provided the regulations are in harmony with state law and 3) is not authorized to tax intoxicating liquor except as provided in Section 311.220, RSMo 1986.

Article , Section 12, of the Missouri Constitution does not prohibit a state representative from accepting student financial aid from a state university if no employment is required, but such section prohibits a state representative from accepting a graduate assistantship which requires employment.

The Saline County Public Administrator is not eligible to employ a secretary under the provisions of subsection 2 of Section 473.737, RSMo Supp. 1989.

Opinion letter to Frank V. DiMaggio

Political subdivisions within the State of Missouri may enter into mutual aid or cooperative agreements relating to police services with political subdivisions of another state; however, there is no authority for the Missouri political subdivision to confer police authority upon members of the law enforcement agency of the political subdivision located outside the State of Missouri except by commissioning those members.

Pursuant to Section 190.050.1, RSMo Supp. 1989, if only one candidate files for the office of ambulance district director in an election district, the ambulance district may forego the holding of an election in that election district.

Opinion letter to The Honorable D. Blunt

Opinion letter to The Honorable D. Blunt

Opinion letter to The Honorable George Dames

Pursuant to Section 610.022.2, RSMo Supp. 1989, notice of a closed meeting of a public governmental body must include the time, date and place of the meeting and a reference to the specific statutory exception allowing the meeting to be closed; however, notice of a closed meeting is not required to include a tentative agenda.

Opinion letter to The Honorable Dennis W. Smith, The Honorable B.J. Marsh and The Honorable Joe McCracken

The circuit clerk, prosecuting attorney and circuit judge are not required to release to the media and public the names of members of a grand jury.

Under Section 351.405, RSMo 1986, a dissenting shareholder is not entitled to receive dividends, whether the dividends are regularly scheduled or extraordinary, that are declared after the date on which the vote was taken authorizing the sale or exchange.

A fire protection district is authorized to enter into a cooperative agreement with a volunteer fire association incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation.

Opinion letter to The Honorable D. Blunt

Additional statutory authorization is not necessary for the State Lottery Commission to formulate a lottery game where the prizes are based on the player's predictions on the outcome of professional sporting events.

Section 188.205, RSMo 1986, does not prohibit libraries (whether public or private which receive public support) from cataloging, housing, or circulating abortion material.

The user fee specified in Section 59.319, RSMo Supp. 1989, should not be collected when a -1 is merely filed, but such user fee should be collected when a -1 is filed for record or recorded.

Opinion letter to The Honorable D. Blunt

Cities which levy a tax for parks pursuant to Section 90.500, RSMo 1986, may not impose an administrative service fee on the park fund for processing checks and providing accounting services for the park fund.

(1) Subsection 2 of Section 311.332, RSMo Supp. 1989, does not prohibit a wholesaler of intoxicating liquor or wine containing alcohol in excess of five percent by weight from meeting lower competing prices and discounts for liquor or wine of the same brand and trade name and of like age and quality as provided in Section 311.336, RSMo 1986, (2) the amended price schedule allowed in Section 311.336 shall be in effect for the calendar month following the amendment as provided in that section, and (3) the lower competing price referred to in Section 311.336 is based on the filed schedule of prices and not temporary price reductions authorized by subsections 2 and 3 of Section 311.332.

A county auditor of a first class non-charter county is not authorized to conduct an audit of a corporation organized under Chapter 355, RSMo, even if the corporation performs a public function on behalf of the county and has as a primary purpose to enter into contracts with the county and engage in activities carried out pursuant to an agreement with the county.

Opinion letter to The Honorable John Kauffman

A fire protection district has the power under Chapter 321, RSMo, by a properly enacted ordinance to require a public water supply district to include fire hydrants when installing water mains within the fire protection district boundaries or updating or upgrading the water mains.

Opinion letter to Dr. Robert E. Bartman

Opinion letter to The Honorable Norman E. Sheldon

Opinion letter to The Honorable Margaret Kelly,

Opinion letter to The Honorable Joe McCracken

Opinion letter to John B. Berkemeyer