Friday, August 4, 2017, the JBCC cast two important votes involving freelance court reporters.  In the first vote, the Commissioners voted 5-2 to accept and forward to the Texas Supreme Court the revised Code of Ethics for Certified Shorthand Reporters and Court Reporting Firms which was proposed by the Court Reporters Certification Advisory Board; this proposed Code does not contain the 1/3 rule (nor any rule to replace it).  The second vote was upon a motion to recommend the elimination of JBCC Enforcement Rule 6.5(a)(8)(m), which passed 4-3.  While we do not yet know when the Supreme Court will take action on these matters, TEXDRA will keep our members advised with updates as soon as we learn them.

Thursday, July 27, Alvin Community College's Board of Regents met to decide the fate of ACC's renowned court reporting program.  TEXDRA's president spoke at that meeting in an attempt to present a business scenario to the board that would convince them to keep the program open by increasing enrollment and graduation rates.  The proposal we put forth was that they consider incorporating voice training alongside the present stenographic training, giving current and prospective students more options and increasing revenues by attracting more students to the program.  Unfortunately, the suggestion was not enough to convince them, and they have voted to close the program down, using a "teach-out" time frame of two years.  Our profession is losing yet another school, which is bad enough, but to lose one of Alvin's standing in the court reporting community nationwide is disastrous.  It is time for new ideas and new strategies; our profession's continued existence depends on it!  It is time to define ourselves and our profession by our TALENTS, not by the tools we use.  We are a crucial and integral part of the judicial system and we cannot fail.  Let's put our heads together, roll up our sleeves, and get to work!  We are 100% committed to addressing this critical issue.  Please continue to watch this site and our Facebook group for updates.

The public comment period regarding the proposed Code of Ethics for Certified Shorthand Reporters and Court Reporting Firms is now closed. The JBCC will consider the Code of Ethics as an action item at its next meeting, currently scheduled for August 4, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. in Austin. The Advisory Board may meet before that date to review and consider the public comments received, and, if so, TEXDRA representatives will be there. TEXDRA's attorney, Justice Craig Enoch, submitted our official public comment to the JBCC on June 6, which you can find under Recommended Reading on our home page. Please continue to watch this site and our Facebook group for updates.

On Friday, June 2, Mike Clepper, TEXDRA Founding Member and Director, our dear friend and colleague, passed away. We are heartbroken but honored to have known and worked with Mike, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family, coworkers, friends, and loved ones. Mike was a wonderful man who loved his family and impacted so many in our profession, not only in the state of Texas but around the nation. Mike was dedicated to working for freelance reporters and making a difference in the freelance world, and we will honor his memory by continuing his work in that regard. Please click here for Mike's obituary.  Donations may be made to the Michael Clepper Memorial Scholarship at Alvin Community College or to the American Cancer Society.

Tomorrow, Friday, April 21, is an important meeting in Austin. I want our members to know that TEXDRA will be there, representing our membership, and we will re-urge the adoption of our common-sense ethical proposal for the Texas Code of Professional Conduct "Fees" Section, which our counsel first submitted on May 10, 2016, which you can find under Recommended Reading on the home page. Passions are running very high right now. I am very proud of the way our association members and leadership have conducted themselves through this arduous process, and I want to remind our members that it is to the benefit of all Texas court reporters for us to continue to conduct ourselves with dignity and professionalism and respect for everyone, especially those with whom we disagree.

Having said that, I think it's important for our members to know that TEXDRA is very concerned that there will be a decision tomorrow that ultimately removes the rule in its entirety because there has been such tremendous discord among Texas reporters on this issue; I addressed this concern specifically in "What is the Deal with the 1/3 Rule" on 9/11/16 (see Recommended Reading on the home page). TEXDRA has tried repeatedly to reach middle ground but has regrettably been unable to do so, and TCRA is not willing to budge on their stance of keeping the 1/3 Rule intact despite instruction from the Advisory Board to the contrary at its April 1, 2016 meeting (also available under Recommended Reading). I want to reassure our members that we are standing firm in our commitment to KEEP THE RULE in our Code of Professional Conduct but AMEND the rule so that it is truly fair to all, prevents the "doomsday one-cent original" scenario, and puts our Texas freelance court reporters and court reporting firms on a parity with our counterparts in the other 49 states. We are committed, we are strong, we are determined, and we will not waver in our promises to our membership.

Thank you for your attention and for supporting your profession, and we will keep everyone updated. It is an honor to represent you. With sincere gratitude, Susan Perry Miller, TEXDRA President

Big thanks to TCRA for the Way Back Wednesday history lesson this week.  For FUN FACT FRIDAY, let's also take a trip back in time and reminisce with some fun facts.  Here are some things that didn't even EXIST in 2002:  MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, the Kindle, the iPhone, Hulu, Uber... and in 2002, the minimum wage was $5.15!  

In other news, it's 2017.  The minimum wage now is $7.25 - up 40.77% from 2002.  The cost of living in the U.S. has risen 35.75% since 2002.  In the freelance reporting world, has your business changed in the last 15 years?  TEXDRA is listening.  Join now!

Meanwhile... the next Court Reporters Certification Advisory Board meeting is Friday, April 21, at the Tom C. Clark Building, 205 W. 14th Street, First Floor Conference Room, Austin, Texas 78701, at 1:00 p.m.  TEXDRA has proposed an amendment to Section 17, "Fees," of our Code of Professional Conduct; click here to read TEXDRA's proposal. At this next meeting, the Advisory Board will consider the proposed revisions to the COPC that have been presented by the committee tasked with its review, which has taken place over the last year and a half.  The COPC committee has proposed increasing the 1/3 contained in the present rule to 75%.  Continue to watch this website and also our Facebook page for updates.  Happy Easter!

The JBCC Code of Professional Conduct (COPC) Committee held its final meeting on Thursday, January 12, 2017, and finished its work on revisions to the Code of Professional Conduct.  Next, the revised Code will be submitted to the Court Reporters Certification Advisory Board (CRCAB) at its next meeting, which is expected to be sometime in March.  The COPC Committee revision to section (e) under "Fees" (commonly called "the 1/3 Rule") presently reads:  “CSRs and CRFs must not charge for a copy at a rate more than 75% of the per-page cost of the original and first copy, exempting charges for realtime services, expedited delivery, rough drafts, and other ancillary services that may apply to a copy but not to the original and first copy of the transcript.”

TEXDRA's president, vice-president, and two directors attended this meeting and re-urged the adoption of TEXDRA's proposal that a copy cannot cost more than an O+1.  TCRA's president, president-elect and JBCC liaison also attended the meeting and reiterated TCRA's opposition to ANY change to the "1/3 Rule."  The committee then decided to defer any further consideration to the CRCAB.  As soon as we learn the date for the CRCAB meeting in March, we will put in on the calendar and also announce it here.

The JBCC Code of Professional Conduct (COPC) Committee met on Thursday, June 23, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. in Austin. During that meeting, a motion was made and passed, with a vote of 3 to 2, to amend the "Fees" language to read: “CSRs and CRFs must not charge for a copy at a rate more than 75% of the per-page cost of the original and first copy, exempting charges for realtime services, expedited delivery, rough drafts, and other ancillary services that may apply to a copy but not to the original and first copy of the transcript.” Please click here to read TEXDRA's proposed language. Continue to watch this website and also our Facebook page for updates. If you're not already a member, please visit our Membership page to join now.

Since the Court Reporters Certification Advisory Board (CRCAB) meeting on Friday, April 1, 2016, TEXDRA leaders have been working with our legal counsel to craft alternative language for the "Fees" section of the current Code of Professional Conduct. All of the discussion held at the CRCAB meeting was taken into account, along with the actual vote of the board at that meeting. We have now prepared and presented to the JBCC proposed language that we believe thorougly addresses the ethical concerns unique to pricing and fees in the freelance reporting business, while at the same time removing the current artifical market restrictions that so gravely hurt Texas freelancers and consumers. If our suggested language is adopted, the impartiality that is so vital to our role as guardians of the record will be maintained. Please click here to read our submission, and feel free to send your comments or questions by clicking here. With your support, TEXDRA will faithfully continue our efforts to advocate for the business and professional interests of Texas freelance court reporters. Now is the time for positive change. It's time for TEXDRA. If you aren't already a member, please join now!

On Friday, April 1, 2016, TEXDRA representatives attended a meeting in Austin of the Court Reporters Certification Advisory Board to present information on the Code of Professional Conduct and the One-Third Rule. After hearing presentations from both TEXDRA and TCRA, the Advisory Board, chaired by Judge William C. Sowder, voted 4 to 2 to recommend amendment or elimination of the One-Third Rule from the Code of Professional Conduct. The Advisory Board will next present their recommendation to the Judicial Branch Certification Commission. The Advisory Board's recommendation is a very important first step, but there is still much work to be done. With the support of our membership, TEXDRA will continue our efforts to advocate for the business and professional interests of Texas freelance court reporters. It's time for positive change. It's time for TEXDRA - Join Now!