Cobb & Counsel

06/08/2021

Texas’ open meetings law prohibits 3-member commissions from talking to each other in private—making it hard to deal quickly with emergencies like the February winter storm.

passed a bill this session to expand the Public Utility Commission of Texas from 3 to 5 members.

From February 12-18, 2021, a devastating winter storm knocked out power for millions of Texans, leaving many in the dark for days in frigid temperatures. During that period, the commissioners of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)—the agency that regulates electric utilities—met for a ...

06/07/2021

The clock has run out on HB 393, a bill that would have made it legal to win prizes in daily fantasy sports contests and season-long fantasy sports.

According to Attorney General Ken Paxton, daily fantasy sports are illegal in Texas. bit.ly/2XWsGyc

Daily fantasy sports (DFS) has been one of the fastest-growing gambling verticals in the country since 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting, allowing states to decide for themselves whether to legalize sports betting. DFS is similar to season-long fantasy sports...

06/04/2021

Alcohol to-go from restaurants is here to stay, thanks to HB 1024—but Texans still can’t buy liquor at Walmart, Costco, or CVS? bit.ly/3w1DQkw

06/03/2021

Mixed success for alcohol to-go, gambling, w**d, and crypto bills in 87th Regular Session bit.ly/3pqhxCY

The 2021 regular session of the Texas Legislature has come to an end, after 140 days of deal-making, drama, and dysfunction. According to data from the Texas Legislature Online, the number of bills introduced and passed during the 2021 regular session was down from previous years. In fact, a bill’...

06/01/2021

has come to a close, but Texas agencies are always open for business, and they promulgate hundreds of rules each year—and you don’t have to wait until 2023 to challenge those rules. bit.ly/3a09jcP