Texas Ethics Commission


The Texas Ethics Commission
is authorized by Texas
Civil Statutes, Article 6252-9d.1,
sec.1.29, to issue advisory
opinions in regard to
the following statutes: Texas
Civil Statutes, Article 6252-9b;
the Government Code, Chapter
302; the Government Code,
Chapter 305; the Election
Code, Title 15; the Penal
Code, Chapter 36; and
the Penal Code, Chapter
39.


Requests for copies of the full text of opinions or questions
on particular submissions should be addressed to the Office of
the Texas Ethics Commission, P.O. Box 12070, Austin, Texas 78711-2070,
(512) 463-5800.









Opinion Requests





AOR-82. Ethics Advisory
Opinion 31 is responsive
to the questions raised
in AOR-82.


Questions on particular submissions should be addressed to
the Texas Ethics Commission, P.O. Box 12070, Austin, Texas 78711-2070,
(512) 463-5800.





Issued in Austin, Texas, on August 18, 1992.


TRD-9211403



Sarah Woelk


Director, Advisory Opinions


Texas Ethics Commission





Filed: August 19, 1992


For further information, please call: (512) 463-5800


   
   









AOR-93. A state
legislator has asked the
Ethics Commission whether Article
6252-9b, sec.7C would prohibit
a legislator from providing
legal services to a special-purpose
district.







AOR-94. A member
of a partnership has
asked the Ethics Commission
whether the partnership, rather
than individual partners, may
register under Chapter 305
of the Government Code
in the following circumstances:
Clients contract with the
partnership for lobbying services;
compensation is paid to
the partnership and deposited
in the partnership account.
Compensation to partners is
paid from the partnership
account, and partners are
reimbursed for all expenses
from the partnership account.







AOR-95. A person
required to file a financial
disclosure statement under Texas
Civil Statutes, Article 6252-9b,
has asked the Ethics
Commission to waive the
$100 for late filing.
The requestor states that
he received no notification
of the change in the
filing requirement before the
filing deadline.







AOR-96. A member
of the legislature has
asked the Ethics Commission
whether an ad in a
magazine published by a
youth sports organization that
is purchased by an officeholder
to congratulate a team
must indicate that it
is political advertising.







AOR-97. A registered
lobbyists has asked about
the requirement in the
Government Code, sec.305.005(6)
that a registrant report
on a lobby registration
from "the amount of compensation
or reimbursement paid" to
the registrant for lobby
activity. The question raised
is whether this requires
a registrant to report
both compensation and reimbursement
on a lobby registration
form. Another question is
whether reimbursements for long-distance
calls, photocopying, and facsimile
transmissions should be reported
under sec.305.005(6).







AOR-98. A member
of the legislature has
asked the Texas Ethics
Commission whether legislators
may make officeholder expenditures
for dry cleaning and
laundry bills incurred in
Austin.







AOR-99. A persons
required to file a financial
disclosure statement under Texas
Civil Statutes, Article 6252-9b,
has asked the Ethics
Commission to waive the
$100 for late filing.
The requestor states that
he was not required to
file in past years and
that he received no notification
of the change in the
filing requirement before the
filing deadline.


Questions on particular submission should be addressed to
the Texas Ethics Commission, P.O. Box 12070, Austin, Texas 78711-2070,
(512) 463-5800.





Issued in Austin, Texas, on August 18, 1992.


TRD-9211402



Sarah Woelk


Director, Advisory Opinions


Texas Ethics Commission





Filed: August 19, 1992


For further information, please call: (512) 463-5800


   
   









AOR-100. The Texas
Ethics Commission has been
asked whether an employee
of an underground water
conservation districts is excepted
from the requirement to
register as a lobbyist.
If so, the requestor
asks whether there are
circumstances in which an
employee of an underground
water conservation district might
be required to register
as a lobbyist. If there
are such circumstances, the
requestor asks what registration
fee would be applicable.







AOR-101. An elected
officer has asked the
Texas Ethics Commission to
consider the following questions:


 1. The Ethics Commission has stated that an asset purchased
in part with political contributions is subject in its entirety
to regulation under Title 15 of the Election Code. Is it permissible
for an officeholder or candidate to reimburse his political funds
for personal use of an asset purchased with campaign funds? Is
it permissible for a candidate or a officeholder or campaign
use of his personal assets?


 2. If a candidate or officeholder uses personal assets
for campaign or officeholder purposes, should such use be reported
under Title 15?


 3. May a candidate or officeholder use corporate assets
for campaign or officeholder purposes?


 4. Must a candidate or officeholder report as a campaign
contribution the value of a ticket to an event at which the candidate
campaigns and raises funds?


 5. If a candidate's supporter spends funds entertaining
others for the purpose of soliciting campaign contributions for
that candidate, must the cost or source of those entertaining
dollars be reported?







AOR-102. The Texas
Ethics Commission has been
asked whether certain expenses
of a letter writing campaign
should be paid by the
member of a political
committee who will incur
the expense or by the
political committee itself.


Questions on particular submissions should be addressed to
the Texas Ethics Commission, P.O. Box 12070, Austin, Texas 78711-2070,
(512) 463-5800.





Issued in Austin, Texas, on August 20, 1992.


TRD-9211495



Sarah Woelk


Director, Advisory Opinions


Texas Ethics Commission





Filed: August 21, 1992


For further information, please call: (512) 463-5800