Hello From TX

[Austex]

Hello all,

Like other new guys I have been lurking her for a while just absorbing it all in and gleaning some great information. I'm 26, I did some work in college and am just know getting re-addicted, working youth ball (USSSA) and looking to get involved with my local TASO chapter very soon. Thanks to all of you who created and contribute to this site, I've found it OH-SO-USEFUL.

[amarillo]

Alright! No such thing as too many TEXANS

[Austex]

Yes, we learned that lesson at the Alamo. I miss West Texas, spent 6yrs in Lubbock

[txump81]

Welcome. I believe TASO may be on the way out after the court ruling last month. We have out end of year meeting next week to decide our affiliation for next year. It should be interesting

[Austex]

txump81, can you send me a pm or anything on these forums? i can't say I'm in the know as far as what you're talking about. I'm excited to get more involved here in the dallas area so any info would be much appreciated?

[Umpire in Chief]

Glad to have you here.

[yawetag]

Welcome. I believe TASO may be on the way out after the court ruling last month. We have out end of year meeting next week to decide our affiliation for next year. It should be interesting

Details?

[txump81]

Disclaimer: I am in no way "in the know". Just an observation of information I have gathered.

UIL is the organization in charge of all schools in TX. TASO(Texas Association of School Officials) has been the organization that provided officials for all high school sporting events. TASO is made up of local associations for each sport.

From my limited understanding, UIL basically wants to eliminate TASO and be in control of officials as well as the schools. I don't know how it was approached, other than what I was told by some older members of the association, but UIL basically said all officials need to be UIL officials. For the 2010-2011 season it was left up to each individual association as TASO had filed a lawsuit against UIL. I think a lot switched to UIL. Ours stayed TASO. The lawsuit is being thrown around between courts right now.

I foresee UIL making it so unless games are officiated by UIL officials they won't count. Basically doing away with TASO. The next year could get interesting.

Below is the Press Release after the latest court ruling.

After a series of twists and turns, TASO’s lawsuit against the University Interscholastic League’s attempt to register, regulate and control Texas sports officials is headed back to state district court.

On March 17, a federal district judge in Austin granted the UIL’s motion that the federal court did not have jurisdiction over this dispute. This is ironic since it was the UIL that moved the case to federal court in the first place. And later, when TASO offered to move the case back to state court, the UIL officially notified the TASO legal team that it would oppose such a motion.

The federal judge specifically did NOT rule on TASO’s central point that the UIL’s Sports Officials Department is beyond the authority that the Texas Legislature has granted the UIL.

The federal judge’s ruling simply means that the case will return to state court where, in the past, TASO has secured a temporary restraining order and an injunction against the UIL. We hope for, and anticipate, similar success.

Remember, three separate judges have already prevented the UIL from forcing its registration requirement on sports officials. TASO is in the process of undertaking the procedural steps to re-start the case in state court, where it was before the UIL sought the removal to federal court.

Just as before, there is no requirement to register and TASO remains strong in every sense of the word.

TASO is 100 percent dedicated to the cause that high school sports officials in Texas should remain independent and not fall under the control of a bureaucratic state agency where the individual official has no voice. This independence has served the high school student athletes in Texas well for almost 80 years.

This is what that we are fighting for, but it does not mean we are unwilling to continue to work closely with the UIL and private school organizations to create guidelines, rules and regulations that officials must abide by that are in the best interest of both officials and Texas schools.