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Watchdog column: Is DART stalling on records request?

2014-08-08T14:22:38-05:00

By Dave Lieber The Dallas Morning News Originally published Aug. 7, 2014 Let’s pretend today that I run my own court. Watchdog Nation’s Court of Open Government. We pretend to prosecute governments who we think violate the spirit of the Texas Public Information Act. (Hey, somebody has to, because in real life it almost never happens.) You play judge. Today I unseal a four-count pretend indictment for obstruction of release of public records against Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Yep, I’m throwing a dart at DART. Opening statement Last year, I filed an open records request seeking copies of public complaints about [...]

Watchdog column: Is DART stalling on records request?2014-08-08T14:22:38-05:00

Appeals court panels rules El Paso did all it could to retrieve officials’ emails

2014-08-05T15:15:30-05:00

By Marty Schladen El Paso Times Originally published Aug. 4, 2014 A panel of appellate judges sitting in Austin has thrown out a lawsuit claiming that the city of El Paso has refused to release public records related to the controversial ballpark project. The activist bringing the suit, El Paso lawyer Stephanie Townsend Allala, now is deciding whether to appeal the ruling to the entire Third Court of Appeals, her attorney Bill Aleshire said in an email. The ruling, dated Friday, said that the city did all it could to retrieve emails by city officials related to the ballpark project in [...]

Appeals court panels rules El Paso did all it could to retrieve officials’ emails2014-08-05T15:15:30-05:00

Lawsuit secrets related to West explosion keep public in the dark

2014-08-04T15:06:29-05:00

By Sue Ambrose The Dallas Morning News Originally published July 26, 2014 Secrets wrapped up in lawsuits over the 2013 explosion of the fertilizer plant in West could keep valuable health and safety information hidden from the public forever. Because a judge has approved confidentiality agreements requested by attorneys, even people who live in West may never find out much more about what happened. The agreements allow both sides to label as confidential virtually all information uncovered as the lawyers prepare for trial. “I’ve read hundreds of these. I read them all the time,” said Richard Zitrin, a law professor who [...]

Lawsuit secrets related to West explosion keep public in the dark2014-08-04T15:06:29-05:00

A conundrum for Texas Capitol gatekeepers: What makes a reporter a reporter?

2014-07-28T14:21:39-05:00

By Ross Ramsey The Texas Tribune Originally published July 28, 2014 Texas lawmakers are going to have to figure out what a reporter is. You have no reason to care about this, unless you want to keep up with what is being done in your name at the Texas Capitol, and you think having reporters on the floor of the House and Senate increases your chances of finding out. On the flip side, there is the legitimate concern that a news reporter who might also be a lobbyist and campaign activist could be prowling the floor next session with a media [...]

A conundrum for Texas Capitol gatekeepers: What makes a reporter a reporter?2014-07-28T14:21:39-05:00

Sunlight Foundation study on accessibility of governors’ executive orders gives Texas an A

2014-07-25T18:50:53-05:00

The Sunlight Foundation compiled data from all 50 states on the accessibility of governors' executive orders and found that Texas ranked among the top states when it comes to public availability. The rankings are based on whether executive orders are uploaded online in a timely fashion, whether the text of the orders can be easily searched and how long the orders are available online. Along with Texas, leading states in accessibility were Alaska, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan and Minnesota. Among the worst states were Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii and Nevada. Here's the full report: http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2014/07/24/how-accessible-are-executive-orders-in-each-of-the-50-states/

Sunlight Foundation study on accessibility of governors’ executive orders gives Texas an A2014-07-25T18:50:53-05:00

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