By Caroline Love
KERA
Originally published Feb. 15, 2023
Editor’s note: After reports that Collin County Constable Joe Wright’s name had appeared on a membership list for an antigovernment extremist group, KERA government accountability reporter Caroline Love wanted to find out more about him. She obtained records from the Collin County Sheriff’s Office — where Wright had once worked — only after a lengthy open records battle. We asked her to find out if her experiences are symptomatic of a bigger problem.
Texas citizens and journalists often face drawn-out legal battles over open records requests. Advocates for transparency in government say that’s playing out all over Texas.
Government officials often demand that open records requests be filed for information that is clearly public — even when the same information has been requested and released before. Similarly, they may seek to block the release of documents by asking the Texas Attorney General’s Office to issue an opinion on what can be released. Even when the AG’s office rules that the requested information can be released, it can take months for that to happen.