PIA

Texas AG Ken Paxton must turn over Trump rally records or face lawsuit, Travis County DA says

2022-01-18T21:15:52-06:00

By Lauren McGaughy, John Tedesco and Jay Root The Dallas Morning News and Houston Chronicle Originally published Jan. 13, 2022 The Travis County district attorney has determined that Attorney General Ken Paxton violated Texas' open records law by not turning over his communications from January 2021, when he appeared at the pro-Trump rally that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The district attorney gave Paxton four days to remedy the issue or face a lawsuit. The probe was prompted by a complaint filed by top editors at several of the state’s largest newspapers: the Austin American-Statesman, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth [...]

Texas AG Ken Paxton must turn over Trump rally records or face lawsuit, Travis County DA says2022-01-18T21:15:52-06:00

Open records bill would have prevented Rio Grande City from exploiting loophole

2021-11-30T16:12:39-06:00

By Valerie Gonzalez The Monitor Originally published Nov. 27, 2021 An open government advocate said this week that if Texas legislators are one day successful in closing a loophole in the state’s public information act, municipalities such as Rio Grande City would no longer be able to work around certain requirements — such as responding to requests. The handling of a recent request for public information from Rio Grande City became the latest example of such a loophole in the Texas Public Information Act. Read the full story here.

Open records bill would have prevented Rio Grande City from exploiting loophole2021-11-30T16:12:39-06:00

Texas open government advocates notch legislative wins but want more

2021-11-12T15:49:42-06:00

By Daniel Van Oudenaren The Austin Bulldog Originally published Nov. 10, 2021 Advocates who pushed for changes to Texas’s public information laws at the legislature this year are celebrating a handful of wins but fell short on some of their agenda. Two new transparency laws took effect September 1st, the fruit of a bipartisan effort: Senate Bill 930 by state Senator Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo), which ensures that families of nursing home residents have access to information about outbreaks of communicable diseases within the facilities; and Senate Bill 1225 by Senator Joan Huffman (R-Houston), which tightens the catastrophe exception in Texas Public [...]

Texas open government advocates notch legislative wins but want more2021-11-12T15:49:42-06:00

Supplying information swiftly – not delaying it – is government’s duty

2022-04-13T14:59:27-05:00

By Kelley Shannon If you work in government, here’s something to remember: You work for the people. It’s your job to ensure citizens can interact with their government and have the information they need to hold it accountable. That includes handing over public records when someone requests them.  In Texas, government documents are presumed to be open to everyone and can only be withheld under specific confidentiality exemptions in the state’s Public Information Act.  Many government employees understand this quite well. Some relish helping records requestors. Unfortunately, though, Texas is experiencing a wave of blocked or delayed access to public information. One [...]

Supplying information swiftly – not delaying it – is government’s duty2022-04-13T14:59:27-05:00

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