Recent Reports from the Southwest Regional Office:

Consumers Union's Southwest Regional Office publishes periodic reports on issues of interest to Texas consumers.

Consumers Union's Issue Papers for the 78th Texas Legislature (Jan. 2003).
Click here for issue papers»

"Did the Legislature work to fix the family budget crisis?" — will be the question by which the success or failure of the 78th legislative session will be judged amidst the state's fiscal crisis and temptation by lawmakers to seek quick fixes that threaten family finances. Click here for legislative session overview»

(IROS) Independent Review Organizations: Consumers Gain Needed Care When Unaffiliated Medical Experts Review Health Plan Denials (May 2002).
www.consumersunion.org/health/iro/review_exe.htm
Click here for the release»

Check the Facts: Savings and Frustration in the New Electricity Market (March 2002).
www.consumersunion.org/pdf/trang.pdf

In Over Our Heads: Predatory Lending and Fraud in Manufactured Housing (February 2002).
www.consumersunion.org/other/mh/overinfo.htm

Hospital Merger Affects Family Planning (October 2001).
www.consumersunion.org/pdf/swro/brackcommentssw1001.pdf

Noncustomer Check Fees Reinforce Financial Divide (October 2001).
www.consumersunion.org/finance/noncustsw1001.htm

Play at Your Own Risk: Pesticides Threaten Health, Environment in Texas Parks (March 2001).
www.consumersunion.org/food/parksw301.htm

Sale-Leaseback Lending: Loopholes in State Law Allow for Abusive Loan Practices (February 2001).
www.consumersunion.org/finance/leaseback/payday.htm

Residents of Manufactured Homes Lack Basic Tenants' Rights (February 2001).
www.consumersunion.org/other/home/manu.htm

The Eyes Don't Have It…Yet: Texas Eye Doctors Circumvent Contact Lens Law (January 2001).
www.consumersunion.org/health/contact/summary.htm

Final Committal: Bereaved Families Suffer Even More When Funeral Plans Go Bad (October 2000).
www.consumersunion.org/other/funeral/final.htm

Animal Factories: Texas is #1 in Waste from Large-scale Animal Production Operations (May 2000).
www.consumersunion.org/other/animal/animal1.htm

Access to the Dream 2000: Inequities Continue in Home Purchase, Refinance Markets (April 2000).
www.consumersunion.org/finance/access_info_page.htm

Pesticide Report Card: Texas Schools Score from A to F in Integrated Pest Management (September 1999).
www.consumersunion.org/food/pest_info.htm

A User's Guide to the Amended Public Information Act (June 1999).
www.consumersunion.org/other/user_info.htm

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: "Payday" Loans Disguise Usury (February 1999).
www.consumersunion.org/finance/txloans-1.htm

Texas Digital Divide: Telephone Competition Promise Falls Short (February 1999).
www.consumersunion.org/other/localp1sw299.htm

Preserving the Charitable Trust: Nonprofit Hospital Conversion in Texas (July 1998).
www.consumersunion.org/health/txconversion798/txconver1-798.htm

Access to the Dream: Home Mortgage Lending in Texas (February 1998).
www.consumersunion.org/finance/access-tx1.htm

Debit Cards Fraught with Perils (November 1997).
www.consumersunion.org/finance/debit-tx.htm

Stop with Caution When It Comes to Banks: U.S. PIRG'S Banking Report and Its Conclusions (July 1997).
www.consumersunion.org/finance/pirg-rpt.htm

Our Neighborhood Banks: High Cost Loans for Low Income Borrowers (July 1997).
www.consumersunion.org/finance/nb1.htm

Out of Focus: Contact Lens Policy in Texas (March 1997).
www.consumersunion.org/health/contacts2.htm

Rich House, Poor House: The Two Faces of Home Equity Lending (March 1997).
www.consumersunion.org/finance/home-tx1.htm