Bills approved by the Texas Legislature and the governor are normally effective 90 days after the session unless otherwise specified in the bill. However, bills have immediate effect if they contain an Emergency Clause and received a two-thirds vote in each house. Some bills with immediate effect may need the attention of Commissioners Court in the near future. Some of these … [Read more...] about General Counsel’s Report: Legislative Changes With Immediate Effect
CJCAT
From the President: August 2013
Greetings! Have you ever heard the old saying that you always go in the direction of your thoughts? I guess that is true, but how can you do that when you have so many thoughts in your mind? I have been trying to focus on the budget for this year, focus on transportation issues, focus on emergency management during our tornado aftermath, and so on. I have also heard that … [Read more...] about From the President: August 2013
Regular Session Results
At the conclusion of the Regular Session of the 83rd Texas Legislature, 1,631 bills and resolutions were sent to Gov. Rick Perry for his approval or veto. Several hundred of these affect counties. The deadline for veto actions by the governor was June 16. Approved bills may have immediate effect if they received a two-thirds vote in each house. However, many bills will be … [Read more...] about Regular Session Results
From the President – July 2013
Wow! What a busy year this has been as a county judge. I have been in this office for 19 years, and I believe this has been one of the most challenging years of all…and we still have four months left in this fiscal year. As one person said, “You did not have to run for the job,” and he was correct. It is our decision to run, and why do we do it? I would like to believe it has … [Read more...] about From the President – July 2013
From the President – June 2013
Greetings! By the time you read this, the Regular Session of the 83rd Texas Legislature will be over. I hope that the legislation that is approved will best represent the positive direction of our state and local government. I know from being involved through our State Association that we all have made contributions to make county government the best that it can be. Some … [Read more...] about From the President – June 2013