Texas Public Information Act’s 50th anniversary an excellent time to strengthen the landmark law
FOIFT2023-02-01T09:19:32-06:00By Kelley Shannon Executive Director Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas Fifty years ago, responding to public demand in an era of reform, Texas enacted a sweeping law ensuring the people’s right to know about their government. The Texas Public Information Act – originally known as the Open Records Act when it passed in 1973 – was one of the strongest transparency laws in the nation. It allowed Texans to hold their state and local governments accountable by obtaining all sorts of public records. “The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is [...]