Texas Progress Council

Electric deregulation continues to be a confusing, expensive mess for customers

With a name like Amigo Energy, you would expect honest dealings from a company with friendly customer service. You'd be wrong.

Amigo Energy is another electric company taking advantage of its customers in the deregulated electric system in Texas. After yet another electric company went out of business in Texas, Amigo took over the defunct company's accounts promising a rate of 16 cents a kilowatt hour in writing.

Statesman: Texas Supreme Court Bad and Wrong

The Texas Supreme Court was wrong and should reverse its decision that injured contract workers cannot seek justice against a plant owner who hired them, the Austin American Statesman editorial board writes.

They are right. The ruling came in the Entergy v. Summers case, the court will soon hear formal arguments from workers groups and others that it must reverse its decision.

The Corruption of Texas Courts

The Houston Chronicle's Rick Casey today reports how state Rep. Larry Taylor, R- Friendswood, a recipient of $20,000 in the infamous 2002 Tom DeLay/Tom Craddick campaign money laundering scheme, subsequently passed a bill an all-GOP judicial panel is now using to justify tossing out criminal indictments against the conspirators.

Insurance: to the moon

Allstate and State Farm are going to dramatically raise your insurance premiums again.

Under Texas' file-and-use law, insurers may raise rates once they have notified the insurance department. The agency then reviews the new rates and may object if it deems the increases excessive or unjustified. Both rate filings are now under review by the department.