PIA

AG says DA’s office violated Public Information Act on Twin Peaks request

2015-10-26T15:20:52-05:00

By Tommy Witherspoon Waco Tribune-Herald Originally published Oct. 24, 2015 The Texas Attorney General’s Office notified McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna this month that his office violated the Texas Public Information Act when it failed to provide text messages related to the DA’s response to the May 17 Twin Peaks shootout. A former sheriff’s deputy says Reyna’s office has violated the act at least three times on requests he has filed. In a letter dated Oct. 13, Assistant Attorney General Lance Kutnick informs Reyna that his office violated the act and that he has four days to “cure” the violation. [...]

AG says DA’s office violated Public Information Act on Twin Peaks request2015-10-26T15:20:52-05:00

DA sues Texas to fight release of controversial contract

2015-10-13T22:34:30-05:00

By Tony Plohetski Austin American-Statesman and Jay Root The Texas Tribune Originally published Oct. 13, 2015 Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg is suing to block the release of records about a controversial agreement that allows a giant insurance company to pay her office more than $400,000 a year to investigate the insurer’s fraud cases. The American-Statesman and the Texas Tribune requested the records under the Texas Public Information Act as part of a months-long investigation of the government prosecutors’ unusual and chummy relationship with Texas Mutual Insurance Co. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said last month that Travis County must [...]

DA sues Texas to fight release of controversial contract2015-10-13T22:34:30-05:00

Open records squabble blooms over Austin Music Census data

2015-10-06T17:33:01-05:00

By Lilly Rockwell Austin American-Statesman Originally published Oct. 5, 2015 For Texas State University professor Cindy Royal, the Austin Music Census data was like Christmas came early. A city-hired consultant had collected surveys from nearly 4,000 people in Austin’s music industry, with data ranging from musicians’ revenue sources to answers on broader questions about the challenges facing the local music scene. Royal, who teaches a class in the journalism program at Texas State on computer coding and data skills, wanted to use the survey data in her class. So she filed an open records request in August with the city of [...]

Open records squabble blooms over Austin Music Census data2015-10-06T17:33:01-05:00

Corpus Christi Caller-Times: Texas’ top court downsized the right to know

2015-10-05T18:48:12-05:00

Corpus Christi Caller-Times Editorial Originally published Oct. 4, 2015 Among the most basic of the reasons for We the People to have a right to know is so we can review how our government is spending our money. The Texas Public Information Act protects this right, with careful exceptions meant to protect commerce without infringing on this basic right. An example is the right of a private company that contracts with the state to protect trade secrets that make its products or services unique. Recently, the Texas Supreme Court extended private companies' right to keep secrets from the public way too [...]

Corpus Christi Caller-Times: Texas’ top court downsized the right to know2015-10-05T18:48:12-05:00

Dallas Morning News, KXAS, Temple Daily Telegram receive Spirit of FOI Awards

2015-09-17T19:26:30-05:00

For Immediate Release Sept. 17, 201 AUSTIN _ Three Texas news organizations have won the Spirit of FOI Award for their investigations that made use of state and federal open records laws and resulted in revealing, impactful stories. The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award, presented Thursday by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, was given to The Dallas Morning News and NBC affiliate KXAS in the Class AA large market category for the joint investigation, “Injured Heroes, Broken Promises.” The Temple Daily Telegram, a winner of the award last year, received this year’s Class A market for reporting on [...]

Dallas Morning News, KXAS, Temple Daily Telegram receive Spirit of FOI Awards2015-09-17T19:26:30-05:00
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