Attorney General

Request for Opinions

RQ-0686-GA

Requestor:

The Honorable Russell W. Malm

Midland County Attorney

200 West Wall Street, Suite 104

Midland, Texas 79701

Re: Whether a county is authorized to pay a performance bonus to elected officials (RQ-0686-GA)

Briefs requested by April 21, 2008

RQ-0687-GA

Requestor:

The Honorable Jana A. Jones

Jack and Wise Counties District Attorney

101 North Trinity, Suite 200

Decatur, Texas 76234

Re: Whether the members of a discretionary bail bond board may dissolve the board (RQ-0687-GA)

Briefs requested by April 21, 2008

RQ-0688-GA

Requestor:

The Honorable Leo Berman

Chair, Committee on Elections

Texas House of Representatives

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, Texas 78768-2910

Re: Whether state resources may be used to process state payroll deductions for the purpose of political campaign donations (RQ-0688-GA)

Briefs requested by April 21, 2008

RQ-0689-GA

Requestor:

The Honorable James L. Keffer

Chair, Committee on Ways and Means

Texas House of Representatives

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, Texas 78768-2910

Re: Whether a county may grant funds to a school district or charter school (RQ-0689-GA)

Briefs requested by April 25, 2008

For further information, please access the website at www.oag.state.tx.us or call the Opinion Committee at (512) 463-2110.

TRD-200801579

Stacey Napier

Deputy Attorney General

Office of the Attorney General

Filed: March 25, 2008


Opinions

Opinion No. GA-0609

Mr. Robert Scott

Commissioner of Education

Texas Education Agency

1701 North Congress Avenue

Austin, Texas 78701-1494

Whether the Schoolchildren's Religious Liberties Act, subchapter E, chapter 25 of the Education Code, is circumscribed in the Houston Independent School District by a 1970 permanent injunction issued by a federal district court (RQ-0622-GA)

S U M M A R Y

The Houston Independent School District is under a permanent injunction issued by a federal district court in December, 1970. Because the matter is thus subject to the continuing jurisdiction of the federal court, this office will not determine whether certain terms of the injunction conflict with or prevail over certain provisions of the Schoolchildren's Religious Liberties Act, subchapter E, chapter 25 of the Texas Education Code.

Opinion No. GA-0610

The Honorable Richard L. "Rick" Hardcastle

Chair, Committee on Energy Resources

Texas House of Representatives

Post Office Box 2910

Austin, Texas 78768-2910

Re: Whether a state agency must use an average of 100 Mcf per day of natural gas in order to qualify for the exemption provided by §104.202 of the Utilities Code (RQ-0617-GA)

S U M M A R Y

In order to qualify for the exemption in §104.202 of the Utilities Code, a state agency, as statutorily defined, must contract to acquire an annual average of 100 Mcf per day or more of natural gas to meet its energy requirements.

For further information, please access the website at www.oag.state.tx.us or call the Opinion Committee at (512) 463-2110.

TRD-200801582

Stacey Napier

Deputy Attorney General

Office of the Attorney General

Filed: March 26, 2008