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E-filing court system goes statewide; public access still to be addressed

FOIFT2015-09-30T14:43:22-05:00

By Chuck Lindell Austin American-Statesman Originally published Sept. 30, 2015 Saving an estimated 30 million pieces of paper a year, every major civil court in Texas has begun requiring lawyers and litigants to file documents electronically, providing 24-hour access to the courthouse for anybody with a computer and an Internet connection. The electronic filing system is now available in all 254 Texas counties, and the milestone — reached nine months ahead of schedule — will be celebrated Wednesday at the Texas Supreme Court, which mandated the change in 2012. “It’s been a major, detailed project. You don’t just wave a wand [...]

E-filing court system goes statewide; public access still to be addressedFOIFT2015-09-30T14:43:22-05:00

Citing shift to openness, CIA declassifies Kennedy, Johnson documents

FOIFT2015-09-17T09:59:55-05:00

By Jordan Rudner The Texas Tribune Originally published Sept. 16, 2015 In a massive declassification, the Central Intelligence Agency on Wednesday unveiled roughly eight years of presidential daily briefings from the administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson — the largest-ever release of such material. The briefings, which touch on everything from the construction of the Berlin Wall to the space race, are "among the most highly classified and sensitive documents in all our government,” CIA Director John Brennan said Wednesday at an event at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin. “For students of history, the declassified [...]

Citing shift to openness, CIA declassifies Kennedy, Johnson documentsFOIFT2015-09-17T09:59:55-05:00

Commentary: Governance by “We the People”

FOIFT2015-09-14T15:31:36-05:00

By Allan K. DuBois President, State Bar of Texas Published in Lufkin Daily News, Sept. 14, 2015 Celebrate Freedom Week is Sept. 13 through 19, 2015. During this week, Texas public schools are encouraged to focus student attention on the importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, in their historical contexts. Constitution Day is on Sept. 17. On this day we commemorate the document, signed by 40 patriots almost 228 years ago, that frames our rights and liberties. Why do we have Celebrate Freedom Week and Constitution Day? While every day is cause [...]

Commentary: Governance by “We the People”FOIFT2015-09-14T15:31:36-05:00

FOI Foundation: Denton ordinance likely illegal

FOIFT2015-09-01T13:17:06-05:00

By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe Denton Record-Chronicle Originally published Aug. 31, 2015 A 10-year-old city of Denton ordinance that could make criminals of City Council members who talk about City Hall secrets is probably illegal, according to the Texas Freedom of Information Foundation, which has called for the ordinance’s repeal. Houston attorney Joseph Larsen wrote the City Council a two-page letter last week on behalf of the foundation, a statewide nonprofit that advocates for open government. In the letter, Larsen detailed how the ordinance compromises the First Amendment free-speech rights of council members, the public and the press. The ordinance also usurps and [...]

FOI Foundation: Denton ordinance likely illegalFOIFT2015-09-01T13:17:06-05:00

Abbott withholding records with Paxton’s blessing

FOIFT2015-08-26T15:08:38-05:00

By Jay Root The Texas Tribune Originally published Aug. 25, 2015 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently added his voice to the Republican uproar over Hillary Clinton’s email scandal, congratulating a GOP presidential hopeful for saying foreign countries know more about her electronic communications than the U.S. Congress does. But Abbott, too, often uses a private email address for official government business, and in many years as a state elected official has often decided less is more when it comes to disclosing the communications. He has argued recently, for instance, that he is a "member of the public" in order to shield [...]

Abbott withholding records with Paxton’s blessingFOIFT2015-08-26T15:08:38-05:00

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