TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION
The Texas Ethics Commission is authorized by Government Code, sec.571.091, to 
issue advisory opinions in regard to the following statutes: the Government 
Code, Chapter 302; the Government Code, Chapter 305; the Government Code, 
Chapter 572; 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.

Opinions
AOR-431. The Texas Ethics Commission has been asked whether a district judge who 
is running for reelection in 1998 may raise funds in 1998 to pay debts incurred 
in 1992 in connection with a legislative race. 
AOR-432. The Texas Ethics Commission has been asked to consider several 
questions about contributions to and expenditures by a club that invites 
candidates to speak at meetings and that sometimes endorses or contributes to 
candidates. The specific questions have to do with the application of Election 
Code sec.253.031(b) and sec.251.008.
AOR-433. Whether it is a violation of sec.39.02 of the Penal Code for a state 
employee to use state-owned telephones to make personal long-distance telephone 
calls if no charge is incurred by the state.
AOR-434. The Texas Ethics Commission has been asked to consider whether a county 
or district clerk may accept an in-kind contribution from a corporation to 
support the clerk's campaign for election to an office of a private association 
of county and district clerks. In addition, the Ethics Commission has been asked 
to consider whethera clerk may accept gifts from corporations in the form of 
recreational trips or in the form of door prizes. 
TRD-9801279
Tom Harrison
Executive Director
Texas Ethics Commission
Filed: January 28,1998

EAO-388(AOR-427).Whether members of the Statewide Health Coordinating Council 
are required to file personal financial disclosure statements under Chapter 572, 
Government Code.
SUMMARY. Members of the Statewide Health Coordinating Council are required to 
file personal financial disclosure statements.
EAO-389(AOR-428). Whether the limit on a judicial candidate's use of political 
contributions to reimburse himself or herself for political expenditures from 
personal funds applies to the candidate's use of political contributions to 
repay a bank loan for which the candidate is personally liable.
SUMMARY. A candidate's use of political contributions to repay a bank loan does 
not count toward the limit on reimbursement set out in Election Code section 
253.162.
EAO-390(AOR-429). Whether balloons must contain the disclosure statement 
required by Election Code section 255.001, and whether a candidate must report 
the use of campaign materials left over from a previous campaign.
SUMMARY. Campaign balloons are not required to contain the disclosure statement 
described in Election Code section 255.001. A candidate is not required to 
report his use in a current campaign of materials paid for and reported in 
connection with a previous campaign.
EAO-391(AOR-430). Whether a candidate may correct a report filed before the 
issuance of Ethics Advisory Opinion No. 375 to indicate that the candidate 
intends to reimburse himself with interest for the use of personal funds for 
campaign purposes, and also whether a candidate may accept a campaign 
contribution from a city.
SUMMARY. A candidate or officeholder may correct a report filed before September 
12, 1997, to indicate an intent to reimburse himself or herself with interest 
for political expenditures from personal funds, as long as the political 
expenditures from personal funds and the intention to seek reimbursement for the 
expenditures were themselves timely reported. Although the Election Code does 
not prohibit the acceptance of a political contribution from a city, the Texas 
Constitution may prohibit the city from making such a contribution.
EAO-392(SP-8) Personal financial disclosure statement reporting requirements in 
regard to retirement income and property descriptions.
SUMMARY. Income received as a pension or from a retirement plan associated with 
past occupational activity is not required to be reported as a "source of 
occupational income" on a personal financial disclosure statement. Information 
about retirement funds or income may, however, be reportable under some other 
category on the personal financial disclosure statement. 
In describing real property on a personal financial disclosure statement, 
providing a street address and the city, county, and state where the real 
property is located is an adequate alternative to providing the name of the 
county where the real property is located and the number of lots or acres.
TRD-9801280
Tom Harrison
Executive Director
Texas Ethics Commission
Filed: January 28,1998