PLAYTIME PROTECTION–TexPIRG’s Luke Metzger discusses toy safety issues with Dr. Juan Campos and Congressman Lloyd Doggett.

Dangerous Toys Found On Store Shelves

On November 22, TexPIRG joined with Rep. Lloyd Doggett to release the 20th annual Trouble in Toyland report.

The report alerted parents to several hazardous playthings, including toys that may pose choking hazards, toys that may pose strangulation hazards, toys that are excessively loud, and toys that contain potentially toxic chemicals.

TexPIRG highlighted the growing threat of the “water yo-yo” because of incidents in which the toy wrapped tightly around children’s necks or caused other injuries to the eyes, face and head. In June 2005, Illinois became the first state to ban the toy. TexPIRG called on the Consumer Product Safety Commission to follow Illinois’s lead and ban sales of all water yoyo ball products immediately.

Hurricane Victims Get Utility Relief

This fall the Public Utility and Railroad Commissions agreed to temporarily waive security deposits for electric, telephone and gas service for Hurricane Katrina victims starting over in Texas, thanks to a petition filed by the Texas Legal Services Center and the Texas Ratepayers’ Organization to Save Energy.

Hundreds of citizens wrote in support of the move after TexPIRG alerted them to the issue. An estimated 250,000 people were evacuated to Texas and many are still seeking temporary or permanent housing here. Security deposits to access electric, telephone and gas utility service can cost $300-500 per household, even before the utilities are connected. Even this relatively small cost can serve as a barrier to establishing a new home.

TexPIRG Urges Congress To Protect Campaign Finance Rules

TexPIRG’s Washington, D.C.- based Democracy Advocate Gary Kalman has urged members of the Texas congressional delegation to oppose the Pence-Wynn bill (HR 1316), which is a wholesale attack on campaign finance reform measures dating back 30 years.

In meetings with members of Congress and their staff, Kalman noted that the bill repeals significant portions of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974, landmark legislation passed in response to the Watergate-era scandals. Pence-Wynn would eliminate the combined contribution limits for wealthy special interests, inviting multimillion dollar donations to flood the system.

Telecom Bill Bad Deal For Consumers

On September 7, Gov. Perry signed SB 5 into law, a rewrite of Texas telecommunications law that likely will mean higher phone, Internet and tax bills, more discrimination for poor and rural areas and less local control for many Texas families.

Telecom giant SBC and its allies in the Legislature pushed the measure to ease their entry into the television market by eliminating local control of franchise agreements. These franchise agreements have long been used as a way to guarantee services to poor and rural areas, establish cable access channels, and provide a revenue source for cities. The bill establishes a statewide, boilerplate agreement with lower standards and also deregulates phone rates for lowincome consumers.

Textbook Prices Rise

A new report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirms research conducted by TexPIRG into textbook prices. The report found that textbooks have risen at twice the rate of annual inflation over the last two decades, an average of six percent each year since 1987-1988.

TexPIRG is working to get textbook publishers to keep the cost of producing their books as low as possible without sacrificing educational content.