Anderson v. Regan

Chief Judge Cooke

(dissenting). Very plainly, the State Constitution does not require that all funds received by the State from the Federal Government be appropriated by the Legislature before they can be spent. The language of section 7 of article VII of the State Constitution is far from clear on its face. Its failure to define what constitutes, money in the State treasury creates an ambiguity that must be resolved through extrinsic factors. The background of the provision, its interpretation by the Legislature and the limitations placed on legislative action in this sphere by the Federal…