Ken Paxton

A sheriff may donate Code of Criminal Procedure article 59.06 forfeiture funds to a county service center without violating Texas Constitution article III, section 52(a) if the donation serves a public purpose with sufficient controls to ensure accomplishment of  the public purpose and will provide a return benefit to the public.

When the Texas Windstorm Insurance Ass'n Board has provided requisite notice to member insurers about an assessment at a regularly-scheduled Board meeting, it is unlikely a court will require the Board to call an additional emergency meeting to provide the same notice.  So long as the Board complies with its quorum requirement, Board vacancies do not impair its ability to take action.

Constable’s statements to run for office were not made in requisite public setting, and without more, a petition with the minimum number of signatures to waive the filing fee for a place on the ballot does not amount to an announcement of candidacy.

Governmental bodies may comply with Government Code section 551.007 by conducting one public comment session at the beginning of the meeting and may adopt reasonable rules to cap the total time given to each person who wishes to testify.

Purely economic, non-physical damage to property caused by the COVID-19 disaster is not eligible for the temporary tax exemption provided by section 11.35 of the Tax Code.

Government Code section 74.104 authorizes district judges to determine reasonable compensation of court coordinators, subject to approval by the commissioners courts; neither the judges nor commissioners courts have unilateral authority to set such compensation; a commissioners court may set the salaries of assistant court coordinators under Local Government Code section 152.011.

Occupations Code section 351.005 provides that the Texas Optometry Board is prohibited from interfering with certain rights of a licensed physician.

Municipal and county officials may not regulate or restrict the sale of firearms in a local disaster area.

Revenue generated from inmate use of a PIN debit system to pay for phone time must be credited to the county’s general fund.

Occupations Code chapter 1102’s express authorization for a real estate inspector to provide an opinion on real estate’s “plumbing systems” likely includes a camera inspection; thus, to the extent the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners’ rule requires a real estate inspector to get a plumber’s license to perform a job that is within the scope of the real estate inspector’s license, a court would most likely consider the rule invalid.