J.P. Morgan Chase v. City of Corsicana
The Texas Supreme Court held that economic development grants or loans authorized by a 1987 amendment are subject to the state’s “gift clauses,” which restrict grants of public money to private entities. The amendment establishes that “development and diversification of the economy” are legitimate public purposes but does not otherwise supplant the court’s traditional gift clause doctrine, the court held. The court reversed a summary judgment ruling that the particular development agreement was constitutionally inadequate under that doctrine because the closure of the specific business envisioned at the start of the agreement did not, as a constitutional matter, establish that the project served no public purpose or had inadequate controls.
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Issues on the dockets include charter schools, minimum wage for live-in caregivers, online arbitration agreements, and a controversial handwritten date requirement for mail ballots.