Reunion with State Office of Administrative Hearings alumni (April 16, 2018)

The SOAH (aka Source of All Happiness) administrative law judges who have retired or otherwise left the agency get together for lunch occasionally. We had a serious mission at the April luncheon: signing a letter to our state senator, opposing reappointment by the Governor of the current Chief Administrative Law Judge (head of the agency).  She has not complied with the law regarding her duties; we're very concerned about how she's systematically dismantling what was a sterling state agency.  Sigh.  I don't usually get involved in politics, but it's important for the people of Texas to have an impartial forum in which to contest proposed penalties/fines by state agencies that oversee their occupations.  (e.g. medical doctors are subject to discipline by the Texas Medical Board.  If they disagree with the proposed discipline, they can bring their case to SOAH).  We'll see.