foiftexas

Rep. Dade Phelan, leader of the Texas House State Affairs Committee, will be the keynote speaker at the FOI Foundation of Texas state conference Sept. 20. A prominent Texas journalist will interview Phelan during the conference luncheon. Panel discussions throughout the day will focus on open government outcomes in the 2019 Texas Legislature; public access to police records; and best practices for news reporters and others in seeking government information and making Texas Public Information Act requests. The FOI Foundation of Texas conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency Austin, 208 Barton Springs Road. Registration is open! See the agenda here. [...]

By Taylor GoldsteinHouston ChronicleOriginally published June 12, 2019 Gov. Greg Abbott has given his stamp of approval to a series of bills that will restore open government protections stripped away by recent Texas court decisions. The new laws will allow the public more access to records about government contracts and tamp down on secret meetings by elected officials. Senate Bill 943, which Abbott signed Monday, re-establishes in the law that information about contracts that governments make with businesses must be public, with some exceptions. Read the full story here.