Monthly Archives: September 2020
Justice Ginsburg Remembered: A Champion for Equal Protection
Today is the first time in American history a woman lies in repose in the United States Capitol. Surely there were many “firsts” for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“RBG”) in her lifetime, including the first female attorney to argue at the U.S. Supreme Court. RBG was an accomplished attorney, professor, U.S. Circuit… Read More »
Concurrently Scheduling Online and In-Person Public Meetings under the Texas Open Meetings Act
Certain laws require cities, counties, and other governmental entities to give advance public notice prior to taking certain actions—usually holding a public hearing. Sometimes, that notice must be published in a newspaper, posted on a website, or even mailed directly to certain interested parties. Typically, there is nothing particularly challenging about giving advance notice… Read More »
Texas Cities Remain Limited by Governor’s Order Over Pandemic Restrictions
We continue to live in confusing and unprecedented times amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past six months, we’ve seen a number of emergency orders and disaster declarations at both the local and state level, which are aimed at keeping Texans safe and helping to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As discussed… Read More »
Extent of Liability for Texas Cities Depends on Whether Functions Are Governmental or Proprietary
A question that often comes up for municipalities all over the state is whether they can be held liable for actions taken as a governmental entity. At one time in our history this was technically true, but in 1969, Texas enacted what is now known as the Texas Tort Claims Act. Prior to the… Read More »