After several major open government measures stalled in the House Government Transparency and Operation Committee a few days ago, the Texas Senate breathed new life into the legislation Thursday by adding the bills onto a Texas Public Information Act proposal.
Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, amended House Bill 2328 by Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, on the Senate floor. Included in the amendments were issues contained in legislation by Watson, Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, and Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake.
The bottomline: Bills that address the troubling Boeing ruling and Greater Houston Partnership ruling by the Texas Supreme Court are now revived, along with a bill restoring access to dates of birth in many public records and one giving better access to government records stored in public officials’ private electronic accounts.
HB 2328 by Lucio was sponsored by Watson in the Senate. It’s a Public Information Act expedited response bill that’s intended to help requestors get information faster.
The Lucio bill now goes to the full House, which will decide whether to concur with the Senate amendments.