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Fight over UT’s Powers buried university in records requests

2014-01-14T23:32:52-06:00

By David Barer The Dallas Morning News Originally published Jan. 5, 2014 AUSTIN — A University of Texas System regent’s requests for hundreds of thousands of documents from UT-Austin sparked accusations of a witch hunt against the school’s president. But the avalanche of demands on UT had only begun. Wallace Hall’s requests totaled 800,000 records, and university officials have said they felt besieged and had difficulty complying. Documents have to be reviewed so personal information is redacted. But Hall’s request was followed by lawmakers, reporters, lobbyists and others wondering what he’d found, pushing the university to produce about 1 million pages [...]

Fight over UT’s Powers buried university in records requests2014-01-14T23:32:52-06:00

Bush Center prepares for open records onslaught in 2014

2014-01-14T23:33:29-06:00

By Caty Hirst Fort Worth Star-Telegram Originally published Dec. 21, 2013 UNIVERSITY PARK — Though hundreds of thousands of people have visited the George W. Bush Presidential Center over the past six months, the lifeblood of the library — the billions of pages of archives — has yet to open. Presidential records are not available to the public for five years after a president leaves office, but that period is up Jan. 20 for the documents from Bush’s administration. The archives will then fall under the Freedom of Information Act, allowing citizens to request documents on everything from 9-11 to Hurricane Katrina. “That is the D-Day of all [...]

Bush Center prepares for open records onslaught in 20142014-01-14T23:33:29-06:00

San Benito mayor’s case to be dismissed after probation program, including Open Meetings Act training

2014-01-14T23:34:19-06:00

By Fernando Del Valle Valley Morning Star Originally published Dec. 18, 2013 SAN BENITO — A special prosecutor said Wednesday that he will dismiss a misdemeanor charge against San Benito Mayor Joe Hernandez upon his completion of a Cameron County District Attorney’s Office probation program. State District Judge Rolando Olvera heard the status of Hernandez’s case Wednesday in 445th District Court in Brownsville. Special Prosecutor Ruben Peña said he will dismiss Hernandez’s charge of abuse of official capacity because the mayor completed the DA’s pre-trial diversion program. “I’m just glad it’s over,” Hernandez said after the hearing. “It’s like starting fairly [...]

San Benito mayor’s case to be dismissed after probation program, including Open Meetings Act training2014-01-14T23:34:19-06:00

Privately run taxpayer-funded Texas schools often withhold information

2013-12-16T14:27:22-06:00

By Morgan Smith The Texas Tribune Originally published Dec. 16, 2013 On a recently approved Texas charter school application, blacked-out paragraphs appear on almost 100 of its 393 pages. Redactions on the publicly available online version of the application often extend for pages at a time. They include sections on the school’s plan to support students’ academic success, its extracurricular activities and the “extent to which any private entity, including any management company” will be involved in the school’s operation. The “shaded material,” according to footnotes, is confidential proprietary or financial information. The school, part of an Arizona-based charter school network [...]

Privately run taxpayer-funded Texas schools often withhold information2013-12-16T14:27:22-06:00

Light of Day project stories under way

2014-01-14T02:49:02-06:00

University students have been using the Texas Public Information Act to request details on student fees as part of this year's Light of Day project of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. The first story in the project this school year was recently published by Texas State University students. Read the report in The University Star. Reporting is continuing the rest of this semester and early spring as students track how much money is flowing into universities through fees outside of tuition and where those dollars go.

Light of Day project stories under way2014-01-14T02:49:02-06:00

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