U.S. Supreme Court

By Edgar Walters The Texas Tribune Originally published Nov. 30, 2015 A Texas veterinarian who offered pet-care advice online lost a battle against state regulators on Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case. Ron Hines, a retired veterinarian from Brownsville, argued that a state regulation requiring him to physically examine an animal before practicing telemedicine — which involves offering a professional consultation over the phone or Internet — violated his free-speech rights. But the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled earlier that Hines broke Texas law when he answered pet owners’ questions through an “Ask [...]