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Originally Posted by Bigjohnson
Does anyone have any info on when or if the AG is going to issue the opinion? I seem to recall that July 25, 2018 was the target date.
There are no absolutes when it comes to either Opinions or even Letter Rulings.
Once a request has been made, there are timelines in which the matter is open for comment. After that window of time, it can then be a quick turn or it may take a while. The delays grow longer if there is any manner of litigation pending in any court of law that could potentially impact the winds blowing in the Office of the Attorney General. Also of substantial import on timing is how many amicus briefs they get on the matter.
As noted on the OAG website "Any person or entity who is interested in a pending opinion request may submit a brief addressing the questions raised or providing factual background. Generally, we request that briefs be submitted within 30 days of the date our office acknowledged the request. However, in some circumstances we expedite the briefing schedule." They also note that "Most opinions are issued within 180 days of the request, but the amount of time required may vary depending on the volume of research required and the number and length of commentaries and briefs received."
Most of my experience with them has been letter rulings on matters subject to the Texas Public Information Act, but the same principles apply.
The July 25th date is commonly floated around simply because that would be the 180 day window from the original request submitted by Morrison. The relevant provisions of the Texas Government Code would allow for time beyond the 180 days if it was deemed to be necessary (see Section 402.042 of the Code).