Lt. Governor Patrick Announces Appointments to the Sunset Advisory Commission
October 26
AUSTIN – Today, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced the appointments of Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway, Sen. Bob Hall, R-Canton, and Emily Pataki, Cedar Park, to the Sunset Advisory Commission. Sen. Birdwell has been appointed chair. Sen. Kirk Watson will continue to serve as the lieutenant governor’s appointee. The lieutenant governor issued the following statement upon making the appointments:
“An effective and efficient government is the hallmark of conservative leadership. Those principles have made Texas strong and I am confident that these appointees will work diligently to ensure that Texas state agencies continue to operate with efficiency and accountability to best serve the people of Texas.”
Emily Pataki is the lieutenant governor’s public member appointed to the commission. She currently serves as board president of Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc., and is a graduate of Yale University. She is also a board member of Atec, Inc., and the Association of Women in Energy.
The Sunset Advisory Commission reviews agencies that are scheduled to be abolished by the Texas Sunset Act. Their duties include conducting public hearings and issuing a report with findings and recommendations to the legislature.
Want new articles directly to your inbox?
Subscribe to our Publishing Service.
Beaumont Court of Appeals Reverses Judgment for Plaintiff in Tort Claims Act Suit Against TXDOT
The Beaumont Court of Appeals has reversed a Jefferson County district court’s judgment finding TxDOT liable to an injured plaintiff under the Texas Tort Claims Act. Texas Department of Transportation v. Oscar Camarillo (No. 99-24-00180-CV; March 19, 2026) arose from...
Waco Court of Appeals Finds That Insurer Has Duty to Defend in Dispute over Coverage in Third-Party Liability Suit
The Waco Court of Appeals has ruled that an insurer had a duty to defend under a CGL policy in a third-party liability case in which the plaintiff’s worker status arguably fell outside a broad exclusion for employee lawsuits. Admiral Insurance Company v. Lippert...
Divided SCOTX Holds That Scope of Utility Easement by Estoppel Is Limited to Original Investment in Poles and Wires
The Texas Supreme Court has reversed a San Antonio Court of Appeals ruling that allowed an electric utility’s to upgrade a power line on an easement acquired in the 1940s. In a 5-4 decision, the Court held that although the utility established that it had an easement...