On December 14, 2017 the Federal Communications Commission, in a 3-2 vote along party lines, voted to end net neutrality – regulations enacted during the Obama administration designed to keep the internet fair and open to everyone. The FCC reached its decision despite public outcry and opposition, including the opposition of 18 attorneys general from […]

Senate Votes to Screw Consumers in Bank and Credit Card Abuse Cases On October 24, 2017, tens of millions of Americans lost a key protection against abuse by bank and credit card companies when Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate to repeal a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule that made it easier […]

Back in 2011, Texas lawmakers passed one of the strictest voter identification laws in the country. This original law was successfully challenged in court, and was found to improperly discriminate against voters by race. The Texas Legislature has since tried to change the law to address these findings, but the ultimate fate of Texas’ voter […]

Texting and Driving is Now Illegal in Texas, But, Tap The Brakes, is The Law Enforceable? As of September 1st, texting while operating a motor vehicle is illegal in Texas.  An offense is punishable by a fine of $25.00-$99.00 for first time offenders, with fines increasing to the range of $100.00-$200.00 for repeat offenders.  Additionally, […]

Accused of Price Gouging During Hurricane Harvey? Have you or your company been accused of price gouging under §17.46(b) of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act? The Texas Attorney General defines price gouging as 1. Selling or leasing fuel, food, medicine or another necessity at an exorbitant or excessive price; or 2. Demanding an exorbitant […]

Despite the fact that employers have grown far more sophisticated and are much more careful in publishing workplace policies to protect themselves and their employees, there is one area that most employers don’t think about – what happens outside of the workplace or during an employee’s “off” time. Although it sounds unfair to the employer, […]