Category Archives: Local Governmental Entities
Texas Voters to Decide on Constitutional Amendments for Police Dogs, State Parks and More
Our most recent blog written by our firm president detailed how Texans are waiting for Governor Abbott to sign bills on his desk that passed during the recent 86th Legislative Session. There is plenty of change hinging on the Governor’s signature, however, some legislation will require more than the Governor’s signature and will also… Read More »
Texas Legislature Tightens State Reins over Local Control
As Daenerys rode the dragon Drogon and sacked King’s Landing in Game of Thrones, I was reminded of the just closed 86th Texas legislative session and its effect on local control. “Local control” is the notion that the better form of government is the government closest to the people because it is more responsive… Read More »
No More Tiers: Annexation Becomes More Challenging for All Texas Cities
Annexations have been a hot-button issue in Texas in recent years. Texas annexation laws, which underwent major changes a couple of years ago, were again addressed by the Texas legislature in the most recent legislative session. In 2017, Senate Bill 6, also known as The Texas Annexation Right to Vote Act, was aimed at… Read More »
Summertime in Texas: The Law of the Mosquitoes
Ah, summer. And you know what that means: mosquitoes. Okay, so summer doesn’t officially start until the summer solstice on June 21, but the mosquitoes don’t know that, nor do they care. Many otherwise pleasant outdoor evenings have been ruined by these tiny pests. They’re so troublesome, in fact, that they’ve raised the ire… Read More »
Video Activism: If You Ignore Them, They Will Leave
What is “video activism” and how do we respond when confronted with a “video activist”? That is a question that a lot of government employees are starting to ask. This question is becoming more frequent due to the sharp increase in video activists showing up at government buildings across the greater Houston region. These… Read More »
First Amendment Right to Protest
In 2017, our Texas state senators and representatives voted for, and passed, a law that seriously impacts the rights of anyone entering a contract with a government entity in Texas (all levels of government) to the right to protest or right to free speech. Initially, it appeared this was a limitation on those of… Read More »
Texas Texting While Driving Ban Raises Questions for Enforcement
On September 1, 2017, the Texas legislature passed a law banning the practice of “texting while driving” across the state. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, approximately twenty percent of car crashes in Texas is caused by “distracted driving,” which resulted in some 450 deaths and more than 3,000 serious injuries in 2016… Read More »
Dog Ordinances: Texas Cities Putting a Paw Down Against Vicious Pets
Many, if not all, Texas cities have at least some regulations when it comes to dogs and other pets. The extent of pet-related ordinances varies from city to city. As discussed in previous Randle Law Office blogs, some cities have ordinances in place to control dogs who won’t stop barking. Others have ordinances in… Read More »
City Hall, Contracts (Or Lack Thereof) and Sovereign Immunity: No Back Pay for Being On Call
A recent Texas Supreme Court case determined municipal employees are not entitled to wages for being “on call.” The city employees in Denton, Texas, had no contract that enabled such pay and there was no provision for it in the employee policies, but the city manager altered the employee policies and included pay for… Read More »
Texas Gun Laws Contain Some Curious Loopholes (No Pun Intended)
The law in Texas governing firearms is an intricate web of who, what, when, where, why, and how. For example, different laws apply to a person who is licensed to carry a handgun and a person who is not, to handguns and long guns, to times when certain events are occurring and when they… Read More »