Texas Government Law Blog
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Texas Legislature dials up on statewide broadband access
“Broadband access is no longer a luxury, it is an essential tool for all Texans.” -Governor Abbott. An estimated 316,717 households in Texas currently lack access to broadband internet service, according to broadband advocacy group Connected Nation Texas.[1] While...
Violations of TOMA may be criminal (and yes, you can go to jail)
The Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) requires meetings of governmental bodies to be open to the public, except for expressly authorized closed sessions. TOMA provides criminal penalties—including possible jail time—for violations of certain provisions, making Texas one...
You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here: Some Texas cities ban “permanent” residencies in RV parks
In January 2021, the City Council of Marble Falls, Texas considered adopting regulations to ensure that RV parks don’t shift into being partially or wholly used as permanent residences. While some RV parks operate like hotels or motels—serving transient guests that...
Texas lags far behind Wyoming in embracing Bitcoin and blockchain
Texas was recently dubbed by Forbes as “the new El Dorado for bitcoin mining,” thanks in part to the state’s deregulated electricity market and cheap energy (the crypto mining process requires a huge amount of electricity). In early March, global cryptocurrency mining...
Here Comes the Sun? Texas Legislature considers bills to reform open government laws
2019 was a good year for open government legislation—in the wake of court rulings that advocates say weakened Texas open government laws, lawmakers approved measures to repair holes in the state’s Public Information Act and shore up the Open Meetings Act....
Parting the Waters: The Difficulty of Dissolving Water Districts in Texas
Water districts are hard to create in Texas—and even harder to get rid of, especially when the district is active. State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (D-McAllen) plans to introduce a bill this session that would allow the City of McAllen to dissolve Hidalgo...
Did TOMA freeze communications among PUC, RRC commissioners during Winter Storm Uri?
From February 12-18, 2021, a devastating winter storm knocked out power for millions of Texans, leaving many in the dark for days in frigid temperatures. During that period, the commissioners of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)—the agency that regulates...
One is the Loneliest Number: Is a law that applies to a single Texas city or county constitutional?
The cities of McAllen and Pharr recently filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas and the Texas Secretary of State, claiming a state law that requires them to surrender control of the May election to the county is an unconstitutional “local or special law.” Voters...
Are Facebook and Twitter accounts subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act?
Social media has become “the modern public square,” in the words of the U.S. Supreme Court. Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms are a cost-effective and efficient way for governments to communicate with the public, and they allow regular people to engage directly...
Welcome to Boomtown: Relocating Your Business to the Lone Star State
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently predicted that Austin, Texas is “going to be the biggest boom town that America has seen in 50 years, at least—a megaboom.” Musk chose Austin last year as the location for Tesla’s $1 billion Cybertruck factory and has moved to Texas...
Texas AG Ken Paxton v. Big Tech
Recently, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken aggressive action against leading tech companies. In December 2020, Paxton brought high-profile antitrust actions against Google and Facebook, alleging the companies have engaged in anticompetitive and monopolistic...
Some Craft Brewers Are Saying Bye-Bye to the “Dock Bump Tax” following Federal Court Ruling
Based on the federal court order recently obtained by Cobb & Counsel on behalf of its client, CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, craft brewers that produce less than 225,000 barrels annually at premises they own (rather than lease) can sell beer for...