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Denton council fails to agree on speech ordinance

FOIFT2015-10-21T15:06:46-05:00

By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe Denton Record-Chronicle Originally published Oct. 20, 2015 The Denton City Council kicked a questionable 10-year-old ordinance to its ethics committee Tuesday, after failing to agree to repeal it or even on how to modify it. The ordinance criminalizes speech for council members who talk about city business deemed “confidential.” The Texas Freedom of Information Foundation wrote the city a letter in August saying the ordinance is likely unconstitutional. The council also moved forward new rules for tow truck operators and heard two hours of testimony over the location for the Eagle electrical substation. The council had not made [...]

Denton council fails to agree on speech ordinanceFOIFT2015-10-21T15:06:46-05:00

DA sues Texas to fight release of controversial contract

FOIFT2015-10-13T22:34:30-05:00

By Tony Plohetski Austin American-Statesman and Jay Root The Texas Tribune Originally published Oct. 13, 2015 Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg is suing to block the release of records about a controversial agreement that allows a giant insurance company to pay her office more than $400,000 a year to investigate the insurer’s fraud cases. The American-Statesman and the Texas Tribune requested the records under the Texas Public Information Act as part of a months-long investigation of the government prosecutors’ unusual and chummy relationship with Texas Mutual Insurance Co. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said last month that Travis County must [...]

DA sues Texas to fight release of controversial contractFOIFT2015-10-13T22:34:30-05:00

Appeals court throws out Texas flag desecration law, saying it violates free speech

FOIFT2015-10-07T15:56:31-05:00

By Chuck Lindell Austin American-Statesman Originally published Oct. 7, 2015 A Texas law banning desecration of the flag is unconstitutional, the state’s highest criminal court ruled Wednesday. In a 6-3 ruling, the Court of Criminal Appeals tossed out the law, saying it was too broadly written and criminalized an act that is protected by the First Amendment’s right to free speech. Apparently rarely used, the 26-year-old law threatens one year in jail and a $4,000 fine for those who intentionally damage, deface, mutilate or burn the U.S. or Texas flags. Similar laws have been struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court [...]

Appeals court throws out Texas flag desecration law, saying it violates free speechFOIFT2015-10-07T15:56:31-05:00

Open records squabble blooms over Austin Music Census data

FOIFT2015-10-06T17:33:01-05:00

By Lilly Rockwell Austin American-Statesman Originally published Oct. 5, 2015 For Texas State University professor Cindy Royal, the Austin Music Census data was like Christmas came early. A city-hired consultant had collected surveys from nearly 4,000 people in Austin’s music industry, with data ranging from musicians’ revenue sources to answers on broader questions about the challenges facing the local music scene. Royal, who teaches a class in the journalism program at Texas State on computer coding and data skills, wanted to use the survey data in her class. So she filed an open records request in August with the city of [...]

Open records squabble blooms over Austin Music Census dataFOIFT2015-10-06T17:33:01-05:00

Corpus Christi Caller-Times: Texas’ top court downsized the right to know

FOIFT2015-10-05T18:48:12-05:00

Corpus Christi Caller-Times Editorial Originally published Oct. 4, 2015 Among the most basic of the reasons for We the People to have a right to know is so we can review how our government is spending our money. The Texas Public Information Act protects this right, with careful exceptions meant to protect commerce without infringing on this basic right. An example is the right of a private company that contracts with the state to protect trade secrets that make its products or services unique. Recently, the Texas Supreme Court extended private companies' right to keep secrets from the public way too [...]

Corpus Christi Caller-Times: Texas’ top court downsized the right to knowFOIFT2015-10-05T18:48:12-05:00

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