TX Attorney General Opinion. Big Trucks. Overweight Truck Enforcement. 4 Key Points.

Texas Attorney General Opinion, KP-0189, answers this question from the Liberty County Attorney:

Whether an elected constable and deputy constables may simultaneously serve under the sheriff, specifically to perform tasks related to the duties of a weight- enforcement officer under Transportation Code chapter 621 

What does the Opinion say?

  • A Sheriff’s deputy is specifically listed in Chapter 621 of the Transportation Code to serve as wieght-enforcement officers & there is no prohibition of that person also being a constable or constables deputy for 3 reasons:
    • No Statute prohibits simultaneous service of constables
    • The Texas Constitution does not prohibit a person from serving as constable or deputy constable and the position of deputy sheriff
    • Common law doesn’t prohibit also serving as a deputy sheriff weight-enfrocement officer because a sheriff’s deputy is not considered an office.

Local TREND. Adjusting Ordinances to Help Taxis Compete with Ride Share from the Golden Poppy State. 4 Supporting Arguments.

City: San Diego

The ordinance San Diego is changing to help taxis compete with ride share? 

  • Reduce insurance coverage from $1 million to $350,000

What supporting arguments for the reduction in coverage?

  • Data shows 99.61% of the crashes caused damage of less than $350,000
  • taxi permit numbers have fallen 30% in 2 years
  • Ride share drivers are required to have less coverage when no riders are in the car and drivers don’t have to pay for the increased coverage when there is a rider
  • San Diego has the hightest ratge at $1million of the largest 10 cities in the US

Local Government Resolution Supporting High Speed Rail in the Bluebonnet State

City: Lewsiville

What action is the city being asked to take: To add support for the high speed rail to its legislative agenda

What entity does the city council point to asking for the high speed rail support?  Dallas Regional Mobility Council  

City of Lewisville City Council Agenda March 19 2018

Community Impact News | City of Lewisville passes resolution in support of high-speed rail project from Dallas to Houston

 

4 Point Opposition to Houston to Dallas High Speed Rail. 3 Counterpoints of Support. High Speed v. Higher Speed.

Who is making these statements? SNCF America, Inc  in written comments to Federal Railway Administration (FRA) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for the Dallas to Houston High-Speed Rail Project

What is causing the impending “doom” on passenger rail in Texas?

  • 1 Company benefits. The Texas Central Rail Project is “designed around the best interest of a single company, not what is best for Texans or the state’s rail transportation future.”
  • Limited Area. Modern rail is only successful in the US with network planning
  • Taxpayers will be liable. operational revenue will not cover debt service
  • Relies on incompatible technology. 

What does SNCF support?

  • T-bone network. passenger rail “​network would serve Houston, College Station, Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco, Temple, Georgetown, San Marcos, and San Antonio”
  • More train options that consider higher speed rail (125 mph max trains)
  • Rail competition based on compatible train technologies

Business Wire | SNCF America, Inc. States Proposed Texas Central Rail Project Would Doom Texas’ Passenger Rail Future

 

4 Limitations. Direct Sales Bill for Manufacturers Sent to Governor in the Sego Lilly State. LEGE TRENDING

State: Utah

Background: HB 369 MOTOR VEHICLE FRANCHISE AMENDMENTS

  • 2015 Tesla builds showroom
  • State denies Tesla the ability to sell vehicles directly
  • Utah State Supreme Court Agrees
  • 2018 Legislative Action

The 2018 Utah Compromise for Direct Manufacturer Sales:

  • Limits direct sales to:
    • electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles or other non-fossil fuel vehicles
    • cars and trucks less than 14,000 lbs
    • companies domiciled in the US
    • whose chief officers direct, control, and coordinate activities as a direct-sale
      manufacturer from a physical location in the United States

KUTV | Tesla on track to sell new cars in Utah after bill passes

Local Government TREND. +1 County Moves to Block High Speed Rail by Protecting its Roads. 4 levels of protection:

The County: Madison County Texas

The high speed rail project: Texas Central Partners’ Dallas to Houston High Speed Rail

The 4 Levels of Madison County road protection:

  • No county road will be closed
  • No county road will be vacated
  • No county road will be altered
  • No county road will be abandoned  to accommodate the proposed high-speed rail route

Madisonville Meteor | County takes stand on railway

Local Government TREND. Ride Share Fees Exceed Revenue Estimates. 3 Bits informed:intel.

Fee background:  50 cent surcharge on ride share & taxi rides in Portland Oregon since 2016

Is the fee a dedicated revenue fee? Yes, the fee revenue can only be used for enforcement and regulation of the ride-hailing and taxi industries

How much excess fee has Portland collected in 2 years? $3 Million

What enforcement does Portland conduct? 

  • it boasts more on the spot inspections of ride share and taxi vehicles than any other US city, except NYC
  • In 2017 that meant 10 city inspectors conducted roughly 3,300 on-street field audits 

What possible uses for the revenue are being floated?

  • A wheelchair accessibility fund

KGW8 News | Portland collects $3 million more than it needs from Uber and Lyft passengers

Local TREND. Infrastructure Impact Fees. What? How? Who is paying the fee?

Where: San Francisco Board of Supervisors

What’s an infrastructure impact fee? a fee to to ameliorate the impacts of ride share

What 5 impacts do ride share have on local government?

  • reduced pulic transportation revenue
  • increased traffic congestion
  • increased traffic safety issues from collisions
  • increased traffic safety issues for pedestrian safety
  • increased road wear and tear

What entities are a proposed infrastructure impact fee to be levied against? Ride Share

San Francisco Examiner | SF supes want infrastructure impact fees for Uber, Lyft

State dealer incentives for EVs. Anatomy of the Dealer Incentive Program.

State: Connecticut

What’s the dealer EV incentive program called? the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automotive Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) program

What incentives are available to auto dealers under Connecticut’s program?

  • $500 per car sold
  • “Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, in partnership with the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association (CARA), present an annual “Revolutionary Dealer Award” to the dealership that sells or leases the most electric cars, hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles”

Governing | A Critical Partnership in the Push for Electric Cars