2017
December 22, 2017, Number 48
TML Legislative Update Number 48 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 48
- Texas Supreme Court Upholds General Law Sex Offender Residency Restrictions
- Federal Tax Reform Passes
- Don’t Forget: Mandatory Eminent Domain Reporting
December 8, 2017, Number 47
TML Legislative Update Number 47 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 47
- Tax Reform One Step Closer to the Finish Line
- Texas Officials Hold Key NLC Leadership Positions
- Don’t Forget: Mandatory Eminent Domain Reporting
- Don’t Forget: Curfew Ordinances Need Review
- Don't Forget: Open Government Training
December 1, 2017, Number 46
TML Legislative Update Number 46 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 46
- Federal Tax Reform Down to the Wire
- TDLR Adopts Rules for Transportation Network Companies
- TWDB Seeks Input on Water Conservation Strategies
November 17, 2017, Number 45
TML Legislative Update Number 45 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 45
- Debate on Tax Reform Continues
- Payday Lending Clearinghouse Updates
November 10, 2017, Number 44
TML Legislative Update Number 44 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 44
- Tax Reform Plan Could Increase Taxpayer Costs for Infrastructure Projects
- House Committee Hears City Officials’ Harvey-Related Concern
November 3, 2017, Number 43
TML Legislative Update Number 43 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 43
- Senate Business and Commerce Committee: Hurricane Harvey Interim Charges
- U.S. Senate Takes Up Federal Broadband Preemption
- City-Related Constitutional Amendment Propositions
October 27, 2017, Number 42
TML Legislative Update Number 42 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 42
- Lt. Governor and Speaker Release Interim Charges
- NLC Asks for Help to Oppose Federal Broadband Preemption
- Post Session Update: Procurement
October 20, 2017, Number 41
TML Legislative Update Number 41 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 41
- Months of Fuzzy Math Hid State’s Property Tax Shift
October 13, 2017, Number 40
TML Legislative Update Number 40 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 40
- Post Session Update: Cities Must Report Hotel Occupancy Tax Information
- Payday Lending Clearinghouse Updates
October 6, 2017, Number 39
TML Legislative Update Number 39 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 39
- TML Names Legislators of the Year
September 29, 2017, Number 38
TML Legislative Update Number 38 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 38
- Appellate Court Reinstates Portion of “Sanctuary City” Bill
- Post Session Update: Annexation
- Post Session Update: Purchasing Bills Require Contract Changes and Reporting
- Payday Lending Clearinghouse Updates
- Extension of Budget and Tax Deadlines Possible
September 22, 2017, Number 37
TML Legislative Update Number 37 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 37
- TDLR Seeks Comments on Transportation Network Company Rules
- Extension of Budget and Tax Deadlines Possible
September 15, 2017, Number 36
TML Legislative Update Number 36 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 36
- Harvey Recovery Continues: More Information
- City-Related Constitutional Amendment Propositions
- Cities Can’t Adopt Resolutions in Support of State Constitutional Amendments
- Post Session Update: Vexatious PIA Requestors
- Last Call for Feedback on DOL Overtime Exemption
- Extension of Budget and Tax Deadlines Possible
September 8, 2017, Number 35
TML Legislative Update Number 35 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 35
- City of McAllen Coalition Files Small Cell Lawsuit
- “Sanctuary City” Law Temporarily Blocked
- New Voter ID Law in Effect for November Elections
September 1, 2017, Number 34
TML Legislative Update Number 34 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 34
- State and Local Hotel Occupancy Taxes Waived for Hurricane Evacuees and Relief Workers
- HUD Announces Hurricane Harvey Assistance
August 25, 2017, Number 33
TML Legislative Update Number 33 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 33
- Home Rule Cities Take Heed: Annexation Reform Effective December 1
- Small Cell Lawsuits Begin; Group Seeks Elimination of Right-of-Way Compensation
- Small Cell Implementation: More Information
- Post-Session Update: Texting while Driving
- Some State Leaders Just “Get It”
- TCEQ Seeks Input on Public Water System Monitoring Plans
August 18, 2017, Number 32
TML Legislative Update Number 32 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 32
- Special Session Ends: Divide-and-Conquer Is Name of the Game Against Cities
- First Special Session – City-Related Bills
- Elections
- Other Finance and Administration
- Community and Economic Development
- City Officials Testify
August 11, 2017, Number 31
TML Legislative Update Number 31 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 31
- Five Days Left: Where We Stand
- Post Session Update: Small Cell Implementation
- First Special Session – City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Other Finance and Administration
- Community and Economic Development
- Public Safety
- City Officials Testify
August 4, 2017, Number 30
TML Legislative Update Number 30 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 30
- Annexation Reformers Ignore U.S. Military
- Why No Compromise on a Revenue Cap?
- Real Property Tax Relief and the Problem with Arbitrary Starting Points
- DPS Crime Lab and the State Budget: Governor Puts a Stop to Unfunded Mandate
- Resolutions for the 2017 TML Annual Conference
- Post-Session Update: Golf Carts on City Streets
- Post-Session Update: Open Meetings Act and Candidate Forums
- Significant Committee Actions
- Significant Floor Actions
- First Special Session – City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Elections
- Other Finance and Administration
- Community and Economic Development
- Public Safety
- City Officials Testify
July 28, 2017, Number 29
TML Legislative Update Number 29 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 29
- Round One – Cities down but Not out: TML Speaks Forcefully Against Assault on Cities
- 2017 Public Sector Lobby Organization Rankings
- TML Names Legislator of the Week for Special Session
- Significant Committee Actions
- Significant Floor Actions
- First Special Session – City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Elections
- Other Finance and Administration
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
- City Officials Testify
July 21, 2017, Number 28
TML Legislative Update Number 28 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 28
- The Onslaught Begins THIS WEEKEND: Senate Committees Begin Attack on City Residents City Testimony Needed
- TML Names First Legislator of the Week for Special Session
- The Smoking Gun: State Budget Language Exposes True Motivation for City Revenue Cap Bills
- Mayors Seek Abbott Meeting on City Issues
- Post-Session Update: Electrician Registration
- Legislature Takes Step to Eliminate Publication Requirements
- Cities Wanted: McAllen to Lead City Coalition Against Small Cell Subsidies
- Resolutions for the 2017 TML Annual Conference
- First Special Session – City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
July 14, 2017, Number 27
TML Legislative Update Number 27 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 27
- Cities Wanted: McAllen to Lead City Coalition Against Small Cell Subsidies
- Governor Issues Special Session Proclamation: Is the Capitol the New “City Hall of Texas?”
- Resolutions for the 2017 TML Annual Conference
- Barking About Tree Ordinances Continues Amidst Nationwide Preemption Efforts
- Post-Session Update: Cybersecurity
- NLC Calls on FCC to Preserve Municipal Authority
- First Special Session – City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Elections
- Other Finance and Administration
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
July 7, 2017, Number 26
TML Legislative Update Number 26 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 26
- THESE SHOULD OFFEND YOU: Contact Your Legislators Now
June 30, 2017, Number 25
TML Legislative Update Number 25 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 25
- MAN YOUR SPECIAL SESSION BATTLE STATIONS: Contact Your Legislators Now
- Support Caps on City Revenue While Cutting Funding?
- Post Session Update: General Law City Sex Offender Regulation
- Post Session Update: Volunteer Emergency Services Personnel and Licensed Carry
- TCEQ Workshops on Total Coliform Rules
June 23, 2017, Number 24
TML Legislative Update Number 24 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 24
- State Budget Designed to Raise Property Taxes
- TML's Successful Priority Package
- Governor’s Vetoes Include City-Related Bills
June 9, 2017, Number 23
TML Legislative Update Number 23 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 23
- Governor Calls Special Session
June 2, 2017, Number 22
TML Legislative Update Number 22 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 22
- Eighty-Fifth Legislature Adjourns: Respect for Local Control is Officially Yesterday’s News
- City-Related Bills
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
May 26, 2017, Number 21
TML Legislative Update Number 21 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 21
- Four Days Left: Down to the Wire
- “Ridiculous” Numbers on Revenue Caps
- General Law Sex Offender Regulation Update
- City Officials Testify
May 19, 2017, Number 20
TML Legislative Update Number 20 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 20
- Eleven Days to Go: Where Cities Stand
- Building Permits in the ETJ Part III: Home Rule Authority?
- TML Names Legislator of the Month for April
- City Officials Testify
May 12, 2017, Number 19
TML Legislative Update Number 19 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 19
- The End Is Near: Marching Orders for the Last 18 Days
- All Fronts Attack on City Right-of-Way Authority Continues
- How Not to Get Sued by The State
- City Officials Testify
May 5, 2017, Number 18
TML Legislative Update Number 18 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 18
- This Is It: United We Stand, Divided We Fall
- Executive Sessions and Videotape?
- Revenue Caps Harmful to Credit Ratings
- City Officials Testify
April 28, 2017, Number 17
TML Legislative Update Number 17 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 17
- Contacting Your Legislators Works: Keep it Up!
- Permit Vesting on Steroids?
- Significant Committee Actions
- Significant Floor Actions
- City Officials Testify
April 21, 2017, Number 16
TML Legislative Update Number 16 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 16
- Capitol Crunch Time: Here’s How to Make a Difference for Your City Next Week
- DON’T FORGET: Mandatory Local Debt Reporting
- Significant Committee Actions
- Significant Floor Actions
- City Officials Testify
April 14, 2017, Number 15
TML Legislative Update Number 15 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 15
- Bad Senate Bills: Time to Visit with House Committee Members
- State Budget Takes Next Step
- Small Cell Node Bill Advances: This Is What Urban Cities Can Expect
- Rural Redlining: This Is What Rural Cities Can Expect from the Bad Small Cell Node Bill
- Eminent Domain Reform Moving Through Process
- Federal Bill by Marchant Gives Voice to Municipal Health Pools
- TCEQ Adopts Revised Total Coliform Rules
- Significant Committee Actions
- Significant Floor Actions
- City Officials Testify
April 7, 2017, Number 14
TML Legislative Update Number 14 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 14
- Senate Budget Designed to Raise Property Taxes
- House and Senate Committee Hearings: The End of Annexation?
- Open Meetings Act: Court Declares Criminal Conspiracy Provision Unconstitutional
- FCC Seeks More Right-of-Way Preemption
- Payday Lending Clearinghouse Updates
- TML Names Legislator of the Month for March
- Significant Committee Actions
- Significant Floor Actions
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Other Finance and Administration
- Public Safety
- City Officials Testify
March 31, 2017, Number 13
TML Legislative Update Number 13 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 13
- More Hypocrisy: Fingerprints for Driver Ed Instructors but Not TNC Drivers
- Big Businesses Bite the Hand that Feeds Them
- Significant Committee Actions
- Significant Floor Actions
- City Officials Testify
March 24, 2017, Number 12
TML Legislative Update Number 12 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 12
- Some State Leaders Plan to Ruin Your City
- Senate Passes Revenue Cap
- Hypocrisy Surfaces in Senate Hearing
- Small Cell Nodes: What They Are And Why You Should Care
- Significant Committee Actions
- Significant Floor Actions
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
- City Officials Testify
March 17, 2017, Number 11
TML Legislative Update Number 11 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 11
- Senate Committee Ignores City Testimony on Revenue Caps
- Bill Filing Deadline Comes and Goes
- Texas City Officials Take Bond Exemption Message to D.C.
- City Officials Testify on Revenue Caps
- Significant Committee Actions
- Significant Floor Actions
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
March 10, 2017, Number 10
TML Legislative Update Number 10 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 10
- Call to Action: S.B. 2 (Revenue Cap Bill) Will be Heard on Tuesday in Austin
- Public Information Act: Dates of Birth
- TCEQ Phase II Stormwater Permit Renewal
- Payday Lending Clearinghouse Updates
- Significant Committee Actions
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
March 3, 2017, Number 9
TML Legislative Update Number 9 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 9
- The PUC's Sustained Bombardment of City Authority: Private Profit from Free Use of City Rights-of-Way?
- FCC Announces Broadband Committee
- Voter ID Update: DOJ Changes Sides
- TML Names Legislator of the Month for February
- Significant Committee Actions
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
February 24, 2017, Number 8
TML Legislative Update Number 8 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 8
- PUC Asserts Jurisdiction over In-City Water Rates
- Significant Committee Actions
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
February 17, 2017, Number 7
TML Legislative Update Number 7 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 7
- Texas Association of Realtors: Should Be Friend, Not Foe, on Revenue Caps
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
February 10, 2017, Number 6
TML Legislative Update Number 6 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 6
- Revenue Cap Committee’s Math: “Worse than Meaningless”
- Speaker Names House Committees
- Texas Supreme Court: Attorney-Client Privilege Trumps Public Information Act
- TCEQ Seeks Stakeholder Input on Revisions to Water Rights Application Forms
- May 2017 Election Law Calendar
- Officer-Involved Incident Reporting
- Reminder: Be Sure to Check Committee and Floor Actions
- Significant Floor Actions
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
February 3, 2017, Number 5
TML Legislative Update Number 5 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 5
- No Sanctuary from Legislative Deluge
- TML Names Legislator of the Month for January
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
January 27, 2017, Number 4
TML Legislative Update Number 4 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 4
- Beware of Budget Writers Bearing Gifts
- House Committee on Urban Affairs: Interim Report on Cybersecurity
- FCC Threatens to Limit Right-of-Way Authority
- Payday Lending Clearinghouse Updates
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
January 20, 2017, Number 3
TML Legislative Update Number 3 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 3
- House and Senate Release Initial Budgets
- Lt. Governor Names Senate Committees
- Does your Representative Support Muni Bonds?
- DON’T FORGET: Mandatory Local Debt Reporting
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
January 13, 2017, Number 2
TML Legislative Update Number 2 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 2
- Legislative Session Begins: Property Tax Sleight of Hand Continues
- DON'T FORGET: Mandatory Eminent Domain Reporting
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment
January 6, 2017, Number 1
TML Legislative Update Number 1 (PDF)
- TML Legislative Update Number 1
- House Committees Release Interim Reports
- City-Related Bills Filed
- Property Tax
- Sales Tax
- Purchasing
- Elections
- Open Government
- Other Finance and Administration
- Municipal Courts
- Community and Economic Development
- Personnel
- Public Safety
- Transportation
- Utilities and Environment