By Robert T. Garrett
The Dallas Morning News
Originally published Dec. 27, 2018
AUSTIN — Open government advocates in Texas say a 3½-year-old court decision, probably unintentionally, has blown a growing hole in the state’s transparency about how taxpayers’ money is spent.
Conservative and liberal think tanks, government watchdogs, consumer groups and industries that depend on robust access to public records, such as newspapers and broadcasters, have formed the Texas Sunshine Coalition.
They want the Legislature next year to dial back secrecy that a 2015 Texas Supreme Court decision encouraged, but the fight will be heated.