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Texas Supreme Court dismisses defamation lawsuit against The Dallas Morning News

FOIFT2018-05-14T15:18:36-05:00

By Jeff Mosier The Dallas Morning News Originally published May 12, 2018 The Texas Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit Friday in which a couple claimed The Dallas Morning News defamed them when it published a column disclosing their decision to omit information about their teenage son’s suicide from a paid obituary. John and Mary Ann Tatum, whose 17-year-old son shot himself, sued The News and now-retired Metro columnist Steve Blow in 2011 over allegations that the column accused the couple of lying about their son’s death. The 2010 column, “Shrouding suicide leaves its danger unaddressed,” urged the public to talk more [...]

Texas Supreme Court dismisses defamation lawsuit against The Dallas Morning NewsFOIFT2018-05-14T15:18:36-05:00

Column: Late-night Austin council meetings hurt the cause of open government

FOIFT2018-05-14T15:13:27-05:00

By Bridget Grumet Column Austin American-Statesman Originally published May 11, 2018 Click here to read Bridget Grumet's column, which starts out: We’re nearly a year into the Austin City Council’s latest push to rein in its late-night meetings. And if, like me, you were watching as the April 26 meeting ran into April 27, with a big debate on rentable scooters starting after midnight and a critical CodeNext discussion running from 2 to 3 a.m., then you know how well that’s going. Sadly, we’re so inured to late-night council meetings that we’ve accepted this is how Austin does things: Bleary-eyed council [...]

Column: Late-night Austin council meetings hurt the cause of open governmentFOIFT2018-05-14T15:13:27-05:00

San Antonio council’s closed-door meeting on GOP convention a ‘blatant mistake’

FOIFT2018-05-08T14:14:03-05:00

By Brian Chasnoff San Antonio Express-News Originally published May 8, 2018 San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg opted last week to convene the City Council behind closed doors to discuss whether the city should submit a bid to host the 2020 Republican National Convention. Made in private, the council’s controversial decision not to pursue the event likely violated the Texas Open Meetings Act — regardless of whether the council arrived at that decision by vote, experts said. “Wow. That’s a pretty blatant mistake,” said Bill Aleshire, an Austin-based attorney whose law practice is focused on government transparency and accountability. Read the full [...]

San Antonio council’s closed-door meeting on GOP convention a ‘blatant mistake’FOIFT2018-05-08T14:14:03-05:00

Spirit of FOI Award – Call for Entries 2018

FOIFT2018-05-03T16:15:32-05:00

The FOI Foundation of Texas is pleased to announce 2018 guidelines for the Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award contest. The contest is open to newspaper, broadcast and online media. The Spirit of FOI Award recognizes outstanding work in promoting open government and the public’s right to know. The deadline for submission of entries is Thursday, May 31, 2018. Nominations must be for work published or broadcast in calendar year 2017. A nomination can be a single news story or series; an editorial or series of editorials; columns; editorial cartoons; or a community FOI project. There is a limit of one [...]

Spirit of FOI Award – Call for Entries 2018FOIFT2018-05-03T16:15:32-05:00

KXAN’s ‘State of Texas’: A look at laws that block access to information

FOIFT2018-04-30T23:19:43-05:00

KXAN-TV's weekly program "State of Texas" focused on state laws that deny public access to government information: http://www.kxan.com/news/texas/state-of-texas-a-look-at-laws-that-deny-access-to-information/1147532344

KXAN’s ‘State of Texas’: A look at laws that block access to informationFOIFT2018-04-30T23:19:43-05:00

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