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Texas Legislature passes TPIA ‘required response’ bill, sends it to governor

2025-05-23T12:04:40-05:00

By Kelley Shannon FOI Foundation Executive Director The Texas Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed House Bill 4219 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini and Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, which requires governments to respond to public information requestors or face consequences. HB 4219 - already approved by the House - has now been sent to Gov. Greg Abbott. Unfortunately, some government officials currently do not respond to every Texas Public Information Act request. Some ignore information requests. Some don't respond if there are no responsive records or if they have a previous attorney general ruling allowing the specific records to be withheld. HB 4219 would [...]

Texas Legislature passes TPIA ‘required response’ bill, sends it to governor2025-05-23T12:04:40-05:00

Transparency bills advancing at Texas Capitol shine light on government

2025-05-06T16:37:38-05:00

By Kelley Shannon  Sunlight is starting to break through at the Capitol in the final month of the Texas legislative session. Open government measures have won passage in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support, and more House votes are scheduled on legislation championed by the broad-based Texas Sunshine Coalition. However, this transparency legislation is still waiting to be heard in the Senate. Action is needed soon in the upper chamber to protect Texans’ information rights before the Legislature adjourns June 2. It’s simple: Access to information builds public trust in government. House members approved House Bill 4219 by Rep. Giovanni [...]

Transparency bills advancing at Texas Capitol shine light on government2025-05-06T16:37:38-05:00

Athena Tseng to receive 2025-26 Ralph Langer Scholarship

2025-05-06T10:35:37-05:00

For Immediate Release April 30, 2025  FOI Foundation announces Athena Tseng is recipient of Ralph Langer Scholarship  AUSTIN – Journalism student Athena Tseng of the University of Texas at Austin has beenselected to receive the 2025 Ralph Langer Scholarship awarded by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Tseng will receive a $6,000 scholarship for the 2025-26 academic year. She is currently director of digital strategy for The Daily Texan at UT-Austin; a marketing and communications intern in the university’s Department of Computer Science; an engagement fellow for Texas Monthly; and editor of BurntxOrange, an alternative news site and digital-first student [...]

Athena Tseng to receive 2025-26 Ralph Langer Scholarship2025-05-06T10:35:37-05:00

Texas House approves TPIA required response bill, helping to inform requestors

2025-05-02T11:28:00-05:00

The Texas House passed HB 4219 on Friday by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, backed by the FOI Foundation of Texas and the Texas Sunshine Coalition. The bill now moves on to the Texas Senate. The legislation requires governments to reply to public information requestors even if there are no responsive records or when the governmental body has a previous ruling by the attorney general's office allowing it to legally withhold the documents. It's good customer service and common sense and keeps requestors from wondering why they're being ignored. Currently, many governments don't respond to requestors in these situations, and some ignore requestors [...]

Texas House approves TPIA required response bill, helping to inform requestors2025-05-02T11:28:00-05:00

Houston Chronicle editorial: Keep Texas free speech strong. Leave anti-SLAPP laws alone.

2025-04-23T08:17:26-05:00

By Editorial Board Houston Chronicle Originally published April 23, 2025 A couple, upset that their pet-sitting company left their beloved fish swimming in dirty water, takes to the internet to write a negative review. The company files a $1 million libel suit. A homeowner writes a strongly worded open letter to his homeowners association criticizing how they’ve squandered neighborhood funds. The HOA sues him for slander in retaliation. A media investigation reveals that a respected doctor did not follow protocol in their research. The doctor sues for defamation. These cases are known as SLAPPs, or “strategic lawsuits against public participation.” They discourage the [...]

Houston Chronicle editorial: Keep Texas free speech strong. Leave anti-SLAPP laws alone.2025-04-23T08:17:26-05:00
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