Monthly Archives: August 2019
Strengthening Cybersecurity for Municipalities in Texas is Now a Mandate
Sunday, September 1st, opens dove season in the north zone in Texas, college football will have started, and new laws go into effect in Texas. That priority is intentional! One new bill mandates that cities train their personnel in cybersecurity every year. Of course, this is an unfunded mandate but still good policy. House… Read More »
Texas Public Information Act Requests During Times of Catastrophe: Senate Bill 494
Many new laws that impact Texas cities will be taking effect come September 1, 2019. Some of these new laws have a positive impact on our municipalities, and naturally some have a negative impact. One new law that will be very helpful for Texas cities is Senate Bill 494. This Bill addresses emergency situations… Read More »
Texas Law Changes to Provide Alcohol “To Go,” Plus Beer & Wine Delivery
It has been in the news, been written about and the word is out. Starting September 1st, the laws in Texas will allow beer and wine “to go”. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code (“TABC”) received a fair amount of attention this past legislature with too many updates to count, and a review and revision… Read More »
Unappealing Easements: the Tale of the Green Utility Monument
For the past ten years, there has been only one cable and internet provider servicing my neighborhood, with the exception of satellite options. This effective monopoly resulted in a perception of poor service at high prices, and my neighbors have long dreamt of another provider coming into our area, injecting a little competition into… Read More »
State of Texas Calls on Cities to Strengthen Cybersecurity, Enhance Government Transparency
If there were any doubt that we were firmly entrenched in the information age, consider that just 30 years ago, in 1989, the word cybersecurity did not even exist. This year, the Texas Legislature has passed a law mandating that all city officials and employees take cybersecurity training to be aware and able to… Read More »