News

By Keven Ozebek and Sarah Rafique KTRK, ABC 13 Originally published March 11, 2024 HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Whether it's investigating controversial decisions by local governments or digging into how those agencies spend taxpayer money, 13 Investigates relies on open records laws to get copies of internal documents, datasets and even emails and text messages between government officials all so we can hold our leaders accountable. ... Under the Texas Public Information Act, anyone can request information from a government agency and by law should receive a response from them within 10 business days. The response can range anywhere from the [...]

By Tony Plohestski Austin American-Statesman Originally published Nov. 30, 2023 A Travis County judge has issued a formal order to the Texas Department of Public Safety for the agency to release a trove of investigative information and evidence from the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. The Nov. 28 order by state District Judge Daniella Deseta Lyttle closely follows her statements earlier this year that she intended to order the release of most documents, including videos and statements of officers and other law enforcement who responded to the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary School. But the order more officially moves a [...]

By Sofi Zeman Uvalde Leader-News Originally published Nov. 16, 2023 Family members of victims killed and wounded in the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary filed sanctions against the Texas Department of Public Safety for selectively sharing crime scene images with the Washington Post. “The same DPS that stands before this court and argues that this information must be withheld from these families has now released some of this information to the Washington Post – one of the plaintiffs in this suit,” the motion reads. The original media lawsuit was filed in August and seeks to release the department’s 2022 [...]

By Odessa American Originally published Oct. 20, 2023 The Odessa American’s almost four-year battle with the City of Odessa over public records access is over, as the Texas Supreme Court on Friday declined to take up the OA’s appeal of an appellate court decision in March to dismiss the lawsuit. AIM Media Texas LLC attorney John Bussian said the Odessa American “went the distance" — in its case that is a lot like the one against Uvalde— to try to hold the City to the requirement in the Texas public records law that the government ‘promptly’ turn over public records, rather [...]