PIA

FOI Foundation calls on health officials to identify nursing homes where COVID-19 is confirmed

FOIFT2020-04-29T19:55:05-05:00

April 29, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUSTIN – The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas called on state and local officials Wednesday to reveal the names and locations of nursing homes where cases and/or deaths from COVID-19 have been confirmed. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission and some local government health officials have refused to say which nursing homes have experienced coronavirus outbreaks, though they acknowledge numerous cases have been detected in these facilities. “Accurate information about the spread of coronavirus is essential for Texans as they strive to understand the seriousness and scope of this pandemic,” said Kelley Shannon, [...]

FOI Foundation calls on health officials to identify nursing homes where COVID-19 is confirmedFOIFT2020-04-29T19:55:05-05:00

Journalists put new Texas public records law to the test

FOIFT2020-05-04T21:42:46-05:00

By Sofia Tyreman A new Texas law aims to provide more transparency through public access to government contracts under the Texas Public Information Act. Specifically, it’s intended to show how taxpayer money is being spent. News reporters are already using the law and learning about its scope. Senate Bill 943, which passed the Legislature last year and took effect Jan. 1, 2020, attempts to address some of the issues generated by the 2015 Supreme Court case Boeing Co. v. Paxton, which weakened Texas’ open records statute. The law is “a good tool to have on our side in terms of making public entities [...]

Journalists put new Texas public records law to the testFOIFT2020-05-04T21:42:46-05:00

Amid pandemic, Texas public record requests languish

FOIFT2020-04-17T16:54:03-05:00

By Asher PriceAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published April 17, 2020 A new state law, passed after Hurricane Harvey, has weakened the public’s right to know information in a timely fashion during a crisis. Some governments appear to be stretching the limits of the law and suspending filling open records requests for weeks on end. Read the full story here.

Amid pandemic, Texas public record requests languishFOIFT2020-04-17T16:54:03-05:00

Coronavirus has upended local government, moving democracy online and putting it on hold in some cases

FOIFT2020-04-13T15:21:43-05:00

By Joshua FechterSan Antonio Express-NewsOriginally published April 13, 2020 Democracy at the local level usually involves elected officials weighing policy within arm’s reach of each other, residents delivering impassioned remarks at a lectern, oblivious to the microphone’s cleanliness, and voters filing into libraries and schools. But the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus has forced elected officials to try to strike a balance between open government and the need for everyone to keep their distance from each another — a key tool in slowing the spread of the virus but not conducive to public participation. “The virus doesn’t care about democracy,” [...]

Coronavirus has upended local government, moving democracy online and putting it on hold in some casesFOIFT2020-04-13T15:21:43-05:00

Reporters barred. Records delayed. How coronavirus shrouded local government in secrecy

FOIFT2020-04-09T15:19:38-05:00

By Jessica PriestUSA Today NetworkOriginally published April 8, 2020 Read the full story here. Thirty-five states have temporarily altered open government laws to curb the spread of coronavirus, according to a USA TODAY Network analysis of government press releases, newspaper articles and information collected by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the National Governors Association. The agencies in these states — from the smallest municipal bodies to the biggest government entities — now can hold meetings remotely. Some allow public comment only in writing, as in Fuller’s case. They’re also delaying public records requests. Read the full story [...]

Reporters barred. Records delayed. How coronavirus shrouded local government in secrecyFOIFT2020-04-09T15:19:38-05:00

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