FOIFT – Freedom of Information Foundation Texas

City of Killeen violating state law on citizens’ comments, attorney says

FOIFT2025-01-13T15:24:22-06:00

By Kevin Limiti Killeen Daily Herald Originally published Jan. 12, 2025 The city of Killeen may have been violating the Texas Open Meetings Act in regards to citizen comments ever since June when the structure of the Killeen City Council meetings were changed. The Killeen City Council meetings start at 3 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month, divided into work and regular sessions with citizen comments taking place in between. But prominent Austin lawyer Bill Aleshire says that this is an obvious violation of the law, and past council decisions could be subject to being declared void [...]

City of Killeen violating state law on citizens’ comments, attorney saysFOIFT2025-01-13T15:24:22-06:00

Support the FOI Foundation mission with a year-end donation

FOIFT2024-12-30T11:26:51-06:00

It's that time of year - time to make a year-end donation to the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas to promote open government and protect the First Amendment rights of free speech and free press. The FOI Foundation works to educate the public about government transparency through regional training seminars for government employees and local citizens; speaking engagements with civic groups and college classes; a state conference; an FOI hotline; meetings with state officials; and columns, newsletters and videos throughout the year. While some national organizations that use open government laws to compile information are struggling, the FOI Foundation of [...]

Support the FOI Foundation mission with a year-end donationFOIFT2024-12-30T11:26:51-06:00

San Antonio ISD pays outside attorneys nearly a teacher’s salary to review information requests

FOIFT2024-12-10T09:55:29-06:00

By Daniela Ibarra KSAT Originally published Dec. 9, 2024 In a year full of financial challenges, KSAT Investigates found San Antonio Independent School District spent nearly a teacher’s salary’s worth on attorneys to review records requests made by news agencies. ... Between November 2023 and November 2024, records show the district had outside law firm Escamilla and Poneck review 19 requests made by media outlets, including KSAT. Invoices show the firm charged the district $55,149.50 for their work. ... That’s just over $3,000 more than SAISD pays first-time teachers with a bachelor’s degree, according to SAISD's pay schedule for this school [...]

San Antonio ISD pays outside attorneys nearly a teacher’s salary to review information requestsFOIFT2024-12-10T09:55:29-06:00

Formerly sealed Austin police records would cost $27K in public information request

FOIFT2024-12-02T11:15:07-06:00

By Brianna Hollis KXAN Originally published Nov. 11, 2024 AUSTIN — Once-confidential Austin police records have been publicly accessible via an official public information request for about two months now. These files are formerly known as “g-files,” and contain primarily unsubstantiated complaints against police officers that don’t result in discipline. They were unsealed after the the topic made its way through a city ballot and multiple court settings. KXAN requested these files for every current police officer. After a weeks-long back-and-forth with the city’s records staff, we got an invoice estimating the total cost to procure these records to be $27,180. [...]

Formerly sealed Austin police records would cost $27K in public information requestFOIFT2024-12-02T11:15:07-06:00

U.S. Supreme Court orders new look at case of arrested Texas journalist

FOIFT2024-10-28T09:48:02-05:00

By The Associated Press Originally published Oct. 15, 2024 WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a federal appeals court to take a new look at the lawsuit filed by a Texas-based online citizen journalist who said she was wrongly arrested in a case that drew attention from national media organizations and free speech advocates. The justices tossed out the ruling of a divided federal appeals court that found journalist Priscilla Villarreal, known online as La Gordiloca, could not sue police officers and other officials over her arrest for seeking and obtaining nonpublic information from police. Read the full story [...]

U.S. Supreme Court orders new look at case of arrested Texas journalistFOIFT2024-10-28T09:48:02-05:00

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