PIA

UPDATE: Many bills before legislative committees this week open, close access to government

FOIFT2015-04-15T20:39:10-05:00

Texas House and Senate committees are considering more than 20 bills this week that would open - and close - public access to state and local government. The House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee is holding a hearing Tuesday on House Bill 2633 by Rep. Ana Hernandez, D-Houston, that would close off public access to key information in traffic accident reports. Meanwhile, the House Business and Industry Committee is considering House Bill 3199 by Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, that would ban use of information obtained under the Texas Public Information Act for marketing purposes. On Wednesday, the House Government Transparency and [...]

UPDATE: Many bills before legislative committees this week open, close access to governmentFOIFT2015-04-15T20:39:10-05:00

Hacker group Anonymous demands release of video in Grapevine police shooting

FOIFT2015-04-14T13:40:51-05:00

By Dianne Solis The Dallas Morning News Originally published April 13, 2015 Anonymous, the collective of activist hackers, is urging North Texas officials to release a Grapevine police video of a traffic stop that led to the fatal shooting of Rubén García Villalpando, a 31-year-old mechanic who was not armed. García Villalpando, a Mexican immigrant, was shot Feb. 20 after he was chased into Euless by Grapevine Officer Robert Clark. An Anonymous offshoot played a role last summer in civil unrest in Ferguson, Mo., when a police officer there killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old. The group posted the names [...]

Hacker group Anonymous demands release of video in Grapevine police shootingFOIFT2015-04-14T13:40:51-05:00

Perry prosecutors fight to keep invoices secret

FOIFT2015-04-06T15:38:34-05:00

By Terri Langford The Texas Tribune Originally published April 3, 2015 A Houston lawyer, for reasons unknown, is trying to get the detailed billing records submitted by special prosecutors pursuing felony charges against former Gov. Rick Perry, opening another front in the tangled legal saga. While the likely presidential candidate waits to hear if an appeals court will throw out the charges against him, special prosecutors Mike McCrum and David Gonzalez are now suing state Attorney General Ken Paxton on the side. They are fighting an open records ruling that might force them to disclose details of their investigation, including whom [...]

Perry prosecutors fight to keep invoices secretFOIFT2015-04-06T15:38:34-05:00

Tyler Morning Telegraph: Tax deals should be open records

FOIFT2015-03-26T15:07:44-05:00

Editorial Tyler Morning Telegraph Originally published March 25, 2015 One of the best ideas to come out of this year’s Sunshine Week — a week dedicated to open and accountable government — is a bipartisan movement in Austin to change the way governing bodies such as cities and counties do economic development. An “Economic Development Transparency Coalition” has formed, calling on the Legislature to change the Open Meetings Act and the Public Information Act to make economic development matters — like tax incentives and abatements — open to the public. The Coalition includes conservative groups, such as the Texas Public Policy [...]

Tyler Morning Telegraph: Tax deals should be open recordsFOIFT2015-03-26T15:07:44-05:00

Dallas Morning News Opinion Blog: Bill to make birth dates confidential is dead

FOIFT2015-03-25T19:59:52-05:00

By Rodger Jones Dallas Morning News Originally published March 25, 2015 Just got off the phone with the office of Rep. Cindy Burkett to fact-check her bill (HB 2766) that would have amended the Texas Open Records Act to keep birth dates confidential. Here’s an unexpected fact I learned: Burkett will not ask for a hearing on this legislation, according to her chief of staff, Allison Billodeau. That means the bill is dead. That’s good for the public’s right to know. (It’s a semi-bummer for me, since I had an editorial written and ready to go on this proposal.) This is [...]

Dallas Morning News Opinion Blog: Bill to make birth dates confidential is deadFOIFT2015-03-25T19:59:52-05:00

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