Recent Texas Attorney General Opinions of Interest to Cities

Note:  Included opinions are from October 11, 2015 through November 10, 2015. 

Opinion No. KP-0042 (Establishment Clause):  A court is likely to conclude that a law enforcement department’s display of the national motto, “In God We Trust,” on its patrol vehicles is permissible under the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution.

Opinion No. KP-0040 (Reimbursement for Legal Costs):  While it is unlikely that a court would conclude that the Houston Community College System has a public interest in paying the legal expenses associated with a challenge to a trustee’s qualifications for office, the college must determine, in good faith and subject to review for abuse of discretion, whether the reimbursement is primarily for a college purpose and not merely for the trustee’s personal interest and that the quo warranto proceeding involved actions of the trustee that were taken in good faith within the scope of his official duties.