PIA

Celebrate ‘Sunshine Week,’ cherish Texas transparency

FOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:39-05:00

By Kelley Shannon FOI Foundation of Texas March 14, 2016 We Texans have a history of straight talk and openness, and our state’s public information laws reflect it. Shining light on our government allows democracy to flourish. As we celebrate that light during national Sunshine Week from March 13-19, let’s be thankful that Texas laws value the public’s right to know through broad access to records and meetings. But we cannot grow complacent. We must fight to keep the laws strong. Every year, there are attempts to chip away at our Texas transparency in the courts, at the Legislature and in [...]

Celebrate ‘Sunshine Week,’ cherish Texas transparencyFOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:39-05:00

El Paso City Council deletes proposed open records restriction

FOIFT2016-03-09T17:13:23-06:00

By Elida S. Perez El Paso Times Originally published March 8, 2016 The El Paso City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to delete a controversial item that would have restricted an entire class of people from requesting city documents through the Texas Public Information Act. City Rep. Emma Acosta, who placed the open records item on the agenda, initially asked City Council to approve an item that called for "discussion and action regarding open records requests released to person(s) and/or petitioner(s) convicted of a felony and/or misdemeanor of a crime of moral turpitude." “This is about the issue of technology not keeping [...]

El Paso City Council deletes proposed open records restrictionFOIFT2016-03-09T17:13:23-06:00

El Paso council item to limit open records access criticized

FOIFT2016-03-06T19:53:25-06:00

By Elida S. Perez El Paso Times Originally published March 5, 2016 The City Council will have what an expert said is a pointless discussion about trying to restrict a class of individuals from requesting city records through the Texas Public Information Act. “They can’t just take it upon themselves to cut off whole classes of people from requesting records,” said Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas Executive Director Kelley Shannon. “They have to treat everyone equally under the law.” An item on Tuesday’s agenda, requested by city Rep. Emma Acosta, calls for "discussion and action regarding open records requests released to person(s) [...]

El Paso council item to limit open records access criticizedFOIFT2016-03-06T19:53:25-06:00

Chesapeake Energy wants settlement with Fort Worth school district kept secret

FOIFT2016-03-04T14:17:24-06:00

By Max B. Baker Fort Worth Star-Telegram Originally published March 2, 2016 When the Fort Worth school district sued Chesapeake Energy two years ago, it accused the company of using sham arrangements and outright fraud to subtract an untold amount of money from its royalty payments. The lawsuit stressed that the missing cash was being taken from an entity that does its business in an “open, ethical and honorable manner” as it serves more than 80,000 students from kindergarten to high school. Chesapeake, it seemed to be saying, was almost taking the money from school children themselves. Chesapeake — now facing [...]

Chesapeake Energy wants settlement with Fort Worth school district kept secretFOIFT2016-03-04T14:17:24-06:00

El Paso city spokeswoman’s records role ‘problematic’

FOIFT2016-02-25T15:58:01-06:00

By Cindy Ramirez El Paso Times Originally published Feb. 24, 2016 An outside investigator found it "problematic" that the city's public information officer determined which documents should have been released to the El Paso Times under an open records request the newspaper filed last year. The public information officer, Juli Lozano, withheld two documents that other city officials had said were responsive to a Times request for records related to projects that were requested by City Council members, according to a report from Austin attorney Ross Fischer that was made public Wednesday. One of the documents that was withheld seems to contradict City Manager Tommy [...]

El Paso city spokeswoman’s records role ‘problematic’FOIFT2016-02-25T15:58:01-06:00

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