By Ken Martin
The Austin Bulldog
Originally published Jan. 7, 2019

During the 2019 legislative session, open government advocates have high hopes that this time they will be able to convince lawmakers to demolish the legal barriers created by court decisions that are preventing access to important public information. 

Among other things, these court decisions prevent finding out how taxpayers’ money is being spent. They also bar access to dates of birth needed, for example, to properly identify criminal suspects or allow lenders to perform the background checks needed for credit decisions. 

Another obstacle to be overcome through legislation is the refusal of some officials to provide access to information about government work done on private devices.

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