Category Archives: Local Governmental Entities
Farmer Joe
Since we don’t have enough wars raging presently, Texas has declared war to protect farming. Did you know that was a problem? Proposition 1 (that’s how important this is, first place on the ballot) will seek to amend the Texas Constitution for the 518th time since 1876. It seeks to restrict regulations and ensure,… Read More »
“Please Release Me, Let Me Go!”
Previously, our office blogged about what an ETJ is. To recap, the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) is the legal authority that a city holds to regulate and make decisions in areas that are outside of its formal city limits, but still within a designated surrounding boundary. The ETJ allows a city to plan for future… Read More »
Fifth Circuit Overturns Title VII Discrimination Law Precedent
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, §§ 2000e et seq., it is unlawful for an employer “to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a)(1) (emphasis added). For… Read More »
HB 1817 Places Onus on Cities to Escape Potentially Voidable Contracts
In 2015, the Texas Legislature adopted House Bill 1295 – an ethics law requiring a written disclosure of interested parties by business entities that enter certain contracts with governmental entities, including municipalities. Now, before entering into a contract with a Texas municipality that requires an action or vote by the city council before the… Read More »
“Sovereign Citizens and Your Local Government”
IMLA, the International Municipal Lawyer’s Association, featured an article by our Executive Vice President, Judith El Masri, as their cover story for their July/August magazine. “Sovereign Citizens and Your Local Government” examines the historical roots of the movement, how and where municipal or government officials may encounter them in their city, and the justice… Read More »
Municipalities and Wildfire Disasters
Only YOU can prevent forest fires – Smokey Bear On August 14, 2023, Governor Abbot issued a disaster declaration for wildfire activity for 191 of our 254 counties. Staying safe during disaster conditions requires a combination of preparedness, communication, evacuation planning, and effective response strategies. Here are 6 areas for municipalities to consider: Preparedness:… Read More »
Defective Subpoenas
Municipal law enforcement agencies are accustomed to receiving records requests from the public seeking accident reports and incident reports, often for insurance purposes. In addition to these frequent requests, criminal defense attorneys often attempt to obtain police incident records, body and dash camera videos, and other police records by filing and serving a subpoena… Read More »
Artificial (Legal) Intelligence
With the recent rise in availability of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) programs such as ChatGPT, many individuals and companies are implementing these tools to automate tasks and work more efficiently. City officials may likewise be wondering how they can utilize these tools to better serve their communities. Cities in Texas can utilize AI in several… Read More »
“We’re Having a Heat Wave…”
Texas Cities are dealing with the challenge of unusually extreme heat. Extreme heat can have deadly consequences, but they are preventable. In the future, cities need to include extreme heat in annual planning and may need to commit significant resources to heat-resilience. The specific strategies and measures a city employees to handle extreme heat… Read More »
Hey, You Can’t Use That Logo! It Belongs to the City . . . right?
As more and more businesses flock to the Lone Star State, cities in Texas are increasingly embracing municipal branding initiatives to promote what their communities have to offer and distinguish themselves from increased competition for business investment and tourism dollars. Just as with commercial businesses, the most effective approach for municipalities to build and… Read More »