State AG Opinions
Free state attorney general opinions with plain-English summaries, full citations, and the original source on every page.
No opinions match these filters
Try fewer or different words, check the spelling, or clear the filters to browse everything.
Must a Louisiana public school teacher resign before campaigning for a seat on the employing school board?
No resignation was required to qualify or campaign. The AG said a teacher elected to the school board that employed him had to resign that employment immediately; if he did not, the job became…
Could a Louisiana sheriff keep a private law practice or earn income from a law partnership?
The AG said the dual-officeholding statute did not apply to a sheriff's private law practice because it concerned public offices and employment. It did not decide whether the sheriff could continue…
Could a Terrebonne Parish council member also serve on its housing authority board?
Yes on the facts assumed. The housing-authority commission was a part-time appointive office, so the full-time officeholding ban did not apply. The AG assumed the council member was not also parish…
Could Louisiana’s Housing Finance Agency buy private insurance for its headquarters instead of using state risk management?
The body of the AG opinion said the agency could insure its own headquarters through the Office of Risk Management or buy private insurance under its specific statutory authority. It warned that…
Could Louisiana's psychology licensing board pay the professional association to run its board-nominee election?
Yes. The AG said the state psychology board could contract with the Louisiana Psychological Association to pay for the statutorily required election of board nominees. The payment was a valid…
Can a Texas county auditor be removed for having a personal interest in a county contract?
The Attorney General concluded that a county auditor who has a personal interest in a county contract, contrary to the oath required by Local Government Code section 84.007(b)(2), may have committed…
Could Connecticut extend an expiring state service contract for less than a full year?
Yes, for the specified service contracts under the 2006 provision the AG reviewed. He said the state could reasonably read 'for a period of one year' as permitting a shorter extension needed to…
Could Louisiana’s contractor licensing board spend fee revenue on its anniversary celebration?
No. The AG said licensing fees were public funds even though the board received no general-fund appropriation, so the board could not spend them on anniversary food, logistics, and promotion. It…
Could Louisiana stadium tax receipts tied to Hornets practices at the Alario Center be paid to the team?
The AG said tax-based fund allocations for income earned at both the Arena and Alario Center went to their owner, the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District. It could use allocated money to pay…
Who could claim Louisiana's homestead exemption after a home was sold for unpaid taxes?
The AG said the former owner's homestead exemption ended when the owner's name left the tax rolls after a tax sale. The purchaser received the property interest described by the statute but could…
Did paying on-call firefighters turn volunteering into a second job under Louisiana law?
The AG treated hourly paid-on-call firefighting as an employment relationship, while saying nominal reimbursement could be consistent with volunteer status. It found no bar to a private employer…
Were Berkeley County school district’s 2005 budget notice and property tax levy procedures unlawful?
The Attorney General could not decide the fact-heavy legality of the procedures. It found the supplied notice and hearing information appeared to satisfy the cited budget rule, explained that…
Could Church Point’s mayor require its elected police chief to report police vehicle trips?
The mayor could require the elected chief to submit written vehicle-use reports to the aldermen. The AG said the mayor and board could not directly order the chief's officers to file the trip…
Was the New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority subject to Louisiana’s local public-deposit and bank-recusal rules?
Yes. The AG said the Ernest N. Morial-New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority was a local governmental subdivision, not a state agency, so the local depositing authority statutes applied. That…
How should a Louisiana assessor list property when the recorded owner has died and no succession has been opened?
The AG said the property should be assessed in the deceased record owner's estate when that person remained the owner of record. An affidavit of heirship alone did not transfer record ownership to…
What rules apply when a Texas city leases its oil, gas, or mineral land?
The Attorney General concluded that two statutes governing mineral leases by a city cannot be reconciled, and that Local Government Code section 253.005 wins. That statute lets a municipality lease…
Did numbering candidates beside their names invalidate Beaufort County ballots in 2006?
The Attorney General did not read the election law as prohibiting candidate numbers. Even if numbering departed from a prescribed form, ballot invalidity depended on whether it misled voters enough…
Did California’s 2006 limits on city council commission payments reduce the pay of members already serving a term?
The California AG concluded in 2006 that the amendments did not reduce compensation already received by council members during terms begun before January 1, 2006. The new limits applied to terms…
When did Louisiana have to return a private-activity bond allocation applicant’s escrow deposit?
Under the executive order the AG interpreted, the $7,500 deposit had to be returned when the applicant substituted an accepted bond-purchase or underwriting commitment, even if bonds were later not…
Could St. Helena's sheriff take a tax-collection commission on vehicle sales taxes collected by state DPS?
No. The AG said the sheriff's commission agreements covered sales taxes the sheriff actually collected, while the Department of Public Safety collected the motor-vehicle taxes at issue. Receiving,…
Could a Louisiana school board hire a private company to collect parish sales tax without council consent?
The AG said the school board could contract with a private company to assist with taxes it was authorized to collect. Whether it needed the parish council's consent depended on their agreement; the…
Can Texas put red-light enforcement cameras on state highway rights-of-way?
The Attorney General concluded that the Texas Department of Transportation may install cameras on state highway rights-of-way to monitor compliance with traffic-control signals and help enforce…
Can the same New York resident serve as both deputy town clerk for a town and as an elected village trustee within that town?
Yes. Deputy town clerk and village trustee are compatible offices and may be held by the same person. Neither is subordinate to the other, the duties do not require the official to choose between…
Does responding to a public records request in nine days, or telling someone information by phone instead of in writing, violate Delaware's FOIA?
No, under the law as it stood in 2006. The AG found the Town of Camden did not violate FOIA in any of six specific incidents a citizens' group complained about, including records that reportedly…
Could a lender collect on an auto dealer’s surety bond when the dealer failed to repay a loan used to buy a car at auction?
No, not under the unpaid-seller provision the California AG analyzed in 2006. The auction seller had been paid; the lender’s loss was a separate loan default. The opinion left open claims under…
Could a city airport commissioner rent a public hangar and vote on proposed rental rates?
The California AG concluded in 2006 that commissioners could rent city hangars on the same first-come, set-rate terms as other users. A renter generally could not take part in a rate decision…
Can a city building official rely on an engineer's seal that a plan meets building codes?
The Attorney General explained that Occupations Code section 1001.402 lets a city building official accept a plat or plan only if it bears a professional engineer's seal, but the statute does not…
Could Maryland collect an inmate's DNA if the inmate's earlier qualifying sentence had ended but they were still in custody for another offense?
Yes under the DNA statute the Attorney General interpreted in 2006. The inmate did not have to be serving a sentence for the qualifying offense when sampled. The opinion did not separately decide…
Could a Washington state employee object to union membership on personal religious grounds and pay dues without payroll deduction?
Under the law examined in 2006, a sincere personal religious objection could support nonassociation without membership in a church. A fee payer could use a method other than payroll deduction if…
Could a Sumter housing board member also serve on the county election commission in 2006?
The Attorney General said yes on the facts supplied. Election commission membership was a public office, but the city housing board role was not treated as one because its duties and terms were not…
Could Aiken County’s elected clerk of court hire additional staff without county council’s concurrence in 2006?
The Attorney General said the elected clerk controlled hiring, discharge, staffing needs, and employee duties within her office without council oversight of those employment decisions. The opinion…
Can a Delaware city council vote on hiring a job candidate while still in executive session?
No, according to this opinion. FOIA lets a public body discuss a job applicant's qualifications privately, but any actual vote, even an informal consensus vote, must happen in open session; the AG…
Can Texas university systems buy printing services without competitive bidding?
The Attorney General concluded that The University of Texas System and The Texas A&M University System may, if they choose, acquire printing services under Government Code chapter 2155 and the Texas…
Could a Florence school trustee also serve as a South Carolina town judge in 2006?
No. The Attorney General regarded both a school trustee and a municipal judge as public offices under the dual office rule. A trustee could seek the judgeship, but assuming it would create a vacancy…
What was the maximum salary a Texas district judge could be paid?
The Attorney General concluded that the maximum lawful salary payable to a Texas state district judge under Government Code section 659.012 was $140,000. The figure works up a chain: an associate…
Could a Connecticut bank put an expiration date on a gift card if it offered refunds later?
No, for the Connecticut bank's proposed card under the 2006 law. The AG said a card that stopped working on its printed expiration date violated the ban even if the buyer could request a refund. He…
Could a South Carolina circuit court hear a criminal child-nonsupport charge without first going to family court in 2006?
The Attorney General said yes. The criminal nonsupport statute gave circuit court jurisdiction, while family court separately could order support and enforce its orders through contempt.
Could a California teacher retiree direct part of a pension payment to a political action committee?
The California AG concluded in 2006 that CalSTRS could make a member-requested deduction and send it to a political action committee if the committee paid any added administrative cost.
Could appointed Prince George's County school board members run for the elected board without resigning in 2006?
Yes. The Attorney General agreed that, once the new statute took effect on July 1, 2006, appointed Prince George's County school board members could seek seats on the elected board without resigning…
Could North Myrtle Beach close dedicated beach walkways for a condominium project despite a resident’s claimed easement?
The Attorney General could not decide the fact-dependent legality of closing the ways. It thought public abandonment unlikely on the facts supplied and said a proper public closure would not…
Does a Texas county clerk have to deduct a fee from a cash bail bond refund?
The Attorney General concluded yes. A county or district clerk is required, under section 117.055 of the Local Government Code, to charge an administrative fee when returning funds deposited as a…
Can an off-duty reserve police officer wear their uniform working a private security job?
The Attorney General concluded no. A reserve peace officer employed by a sheriff, constable, navigation district, or municipal police department may not wear the official uniform or display the…
Could a South Carolina golf cart owner let an unlicensed child or employee drive the permitted cart on public streets in 2006?
No. The Attorney General said the owner’s license and golf cart permit did not substitute for the driver’s own valid license; an agent, employee, or child driving on permitted streets had to be…
What traffic and child-restraint rules did South Carolina’s 2006 AG apply to golf carts and pickup passengers?
The Attorney General said the cited child-restraint law did not appear to apply to golf carts, although general driving rules did. A permitted cart could be driven by the owner, an agent, or an…
When someone files a public-records request for the names of private equity, hedge fund, and real estate funds the NC State Treasurer has invested public money in, the management fees paid, and information about the underlying portfolio companies, which of those does the Treasurer have to disclose?
The AG agreed that fund names, investment amounts, annual returns, and management-fee data were not trade secrets. Based on facts the Treasurer supplied, it found the described portfolio-company…
Could a South Carolina town force residents to remove driveway vehicles that lacked tags or insurance in 2006?
The Attorney General said the proposed ordinance probably would be unconstitutional. The state laws it reviewed tied registration and insurance to vehicles driven on highways, and the office…
Could Connecticut end a state contractor's agreements after its corruption guilty plea?
Yes. The 2006 AG opinion said the state could terminate two property management contracts with Tunxis Management after its corruption-related guilty plea, using the contracts' notice procedures. It…
Could South Carolina’s new Law Enforcement Training Council act before its appointed members began serving in 2007?
Yes. The Attorney General said the council began functioning when the law took effect in 2006; its six ex officio members formed the interim council and a quorum, and could meet before the appointed…
Did service on a South Carolina regional education center advisory board count as a public office in 2006?
The Attorney General said no. The board was advisory, and its enabling provision gave members no sovereign power, fixed term, compensation, or oath; membership did not bar holding a separate public office.
Could a separate Thornwell charter school use a private school’s facilities without triggering the 2006 conversion delay?
The Attorney General said yes on the described facts. The proposed charter school was a separate nonprofit with its own applicants and staff selection, so leasing Thornwell Home facilities was not a…
Could paid employees of a South Carolina charter school serve on its governing board after the 2006 law change?
The Attorney General said no, whether voting or nonvoting. Employees already serving or elected for the next term could not stay on the board while remaining paid school employees; a replacement…
Can El Paso's water utility board charge developers an impact fee?
The Attorney General concluded no. The El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board had no authority to establish impact fees for water and wastewater infrastructure. Local Government Code chapter…
Did Washington petition circulators have to sign the declaration printed on initiative or referendum petitions?
No. The AG read the 2005 amendment as requiring the statement to appear on the petition, but not requiring a circulator to complete or sign it. The Secretary of State could refuse a petition that…
Could a Fairfield County council member direct the county recreation district, and could council remove its commissioners?
In 2006, the Attorney General treated the district director as an employee, so simultaneous council service did not violate the constitutional dual office rule. Council could remove appointed…
Can Delaware public employees' attendance records and time sheets be withheld from the public as private personnel information?
No, according to this opinion. Basic attendance records, sign-out sheets, and time sheets showing when a public employee was or wasn't on the job aren't protected by FOIA's personnel-privacy…
Could a Washington county use housing tax proceeds for moderate income households and favor public employees?
The AG considered a county housing program for low and moderate income households likely to withstand the gift and lending of credit objections. A public employee preference was possible only if it…
Could Gueydan’s elected police chief keep office after moving outside town, and commute in a city vehicle?
The AG said an elected chief who moved out of Gueydan was no longer a town elector and no longer qualified to hold office, but the board of aldermen had to declare the vacancy. It found no state…
Could Avoyelles Parish donate proceeds from land it sold to a local nonprofit community center?
No on the facts presented. The AG said Avoyelles Parish could not donate public sale proceeds to the Hickory Hill Community Center: the parish had no legal duty to fund it, no qualifying aid program…
Could Maryland pay for transportation at a religious organization's Baltimore convention without violating the Establishment Clause?
The Attorney General said Maryland could fund transportation services for the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education through a grant confined to that purpose and monitored for compliance.…
Could a city make water and sewer service conditional on annexation of land in a South Carolina fire district?
The 2006 Attorney General found no law forcing owners to annex merely because a city offered water or sewer service, but presumed the city could choose not to serve land outside its limits.…
How these opinions are useful
- Understand state law: AG opinions are authoritative interpretations of how state law applies.
- Persuasive authority: Not binding like court decisions, but they carry significant weight.
- Government guidance: Often clarify how state agencies and officials should interpret statutes.
- Legal research: Cite AG opinions in letters, motions, and legal arguments.
Browse opinions by state
Two states are not listed and are not pending: New Hampshire publishes its opinions on a page that automated retrieval cannot read, and Rhode Island publishes no complete full-text archive at all. We will add them if that changes.