PIA

Victoria County pays $105,000 for open records advice

2016-09-26T15:07:51-05:00

By Jessica Priest Victoria Advocate Originally published Sept. 24, 2016 Victoria County paid an outside law firm about $105,000 over four years to answer open records requests. In 2015 alone, after several sheriff's office employees were investigated for wrongdoing, the county paid more than $77,000. The county made the payments to the Austin-based Allison, Bass and Magee law firm even though the elected district attorney has offered to answer the open records requests faster and for no outside cost. The sheriff's office wrote in a statement that it wants the DA's office "to remain focused on fighting crime by prosecuting the [...]

Victoria County pays $105,000 for open records advice2016-09-26T15:07:51-05:00

Texas court mulls ‘magic words’ loophole for transparency law

2016-09-15T16:30:22-05:00

By Jon Cassidy Watchdog.org Originally published Sept. 14, 2016 The Supreme Court of Texas heard arguments Wednesday on whether to write a loophole into state public records law that would allow government agencies to avoid public scrutiny and disregard basic public records procedures simply by invoking “magic words.” The court could also decide to eliminate a previous loophole it created, but most of its public records decisions in recent years have favored government secrecy over the transparency that Texas law used to be known for. If the court rules for Dallas in a lawsuit the city filed against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, [...]

Texas court mulls ‘magic words’ loophole for transparency law2016-09-15T16:30:22-05:00

Headliners Foundation of Texas announces FOI grants program

2016-09-13T14:41:05-05:00

Headliners Foundation of Texas Sept. 6, 2016 AUSTIN - The Headliners Foundation of Texas has embarked on a one-year pilot program of grants to reimburse small-market and community news organizations in Texas for extraordinary expenses charged by governmental bodies for Open Records searches. The grant application process will open September 6, 2016, and will continue until the 2016 Foundation funding for the grants is awarded. Click here for the Foundation’s media release announcing the grant program. Here is information for you to determine if your news organization is eligible and how you can apply. The goal is to help community journalism organizations overcome [...]

Headliners Foundation of Texas announces FOI grants program2016-09-13T14:41:05-05:00

KXAN, Victoria Advocate receive Spirit of FOI Awards for open government work

2016-09-09T20:11:28-05:00

  AUSTIN _ Two Texas news organizations have won the Spirit of FOI Award for investigations into law enforcement actions based on documents obtained using the Texas Public Information Act. The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award, presented Thursday by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas at its state conference, was awarded to the Victoria Advocate in the Class A market category for an in-depth look at questionable hiring in the local sheriff’s office. NBC affiliate KXAN in Austin won in the Class AA large market category for “Racial Profiling Whitewash,” an investigation exposing how the Texas Department of Public [...]

KXAN, Victoria Advocate receive Spirit of FOI Awards for open government work2016-09-09T20:11:28-05:00

Yellow Cab leader touts transparency, then fights release of reports

2016-09-01T16:01:00-05:00

By Nolan Hicks Austin American-Statesman Originally published Aug. 31, 2016 When Yellow Cab Austin President Ed Kargbo went to the Capitol to address state lawmakers back in June, he hammered on one issue in particular: transparency. There was no way to verify Uber’s and Lyft’s claims they serve minority communities and disabled people, or how much their drivers were making, Kargbo said, because the ride-hailing giants refuse to release any data. “We report our data, all of our data, to a third party, the city,” Kargbo told the Texas House’s Business and Industry Committee, which held a hearing on ride-hailing rules [...]

Yellow Cab leader touts transparency, then fights release of reports2016-09-01T16:01:00-05:00

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