PIA

Police records: Are Amarilloans in the dark on crime?

FOIFT2014-10-13T15:15:07-05:00

By Russell Anglin and Matt Hutchison Amarillo Globe-News Originally published Oct. 11, 2014 On most days at the Amarillo Police Department, someone sifts through a maze of reports determining what the public should know about crime in the city. After the department determines what’s “newsworthy,” a summary is written about those incidents — usually 10 to 20 a week — and made available to the public. So who’s making the decisions on what the public should and shouldn’t know about police activities and crime? When it comes to police information, it’s Amarillo police officers themselves who determine what will be reported [...]

Police records: Are Amarilloans in the dark on crime?FOIFT2014-10-13T15:15:07-05:00

Greg Abbott facing questions on open government

FOIFT2014-10-07T14:26:15-05:00

By Chuck Lindell Austin American-Statesman Originally published Oct. 4, 2014 Greg Abbott was the toast of open government advocates early in his 12-year tenure as attorney general, but recent decisions in favor of tighter secrecy have prompted some to re-evaluate his commitment to transparency. Since May, Abbott’s agency has reversed policy by allowing Texas to keep secret the source of its execution drugs and withhold inventory reports listing businesses that stockpile dangerous chemicals, including ammonium nitrate, the compound that exploded in the town of West, killing 15 in 2013. Abbott’s Democratic opponent in the race for governor, Wendy Davis, recently questioned [...]

Greg Abbott facing questions on open governmentFOIFT2014-10-07T14:26:15-05:00

Texas Supreme Court refuses to hear Greater Houston Partnership case on Texans’ right to records

FOIFT2014-10-06T15:37:46-05:00

By Mark Collette Houston Chronicle Originally published Oct. 3, 2014 The Texas Supreme Court on Friday refused to hear a lawsuit by Greater Houston Partnership that could have limited the public's right to know about government money sent to private groups. The case applies to all businesses and nonprofits in Texas that receive public funds. It allows the state attorney general to decide on a case-by-case basis which organizations must open their books under open records law, and under what circumstances. GHP's case attacked one of the earliest and most expansive constructions of Texas open records law, known as the Kneeland [...]

Texas Supreme Court refuses to hear Greater Houston Partnership case on Texans’ right to recordsFOIFT2014-10-06T15:37:46-05:00

Del Mar College resolves public information problem

FOIFT2014-10-01T14:14:43-05:00

By Dave Hendricks Corpus Christi Caller-Times Originally published Sept. 30, 2014 CORPUS CHRISTI - Del Mar College and accountant Ed Bennett, who's running for an at-large seat on the college's Board of Regents, publicly resolved a $26.7 million question on Tuesday afternoon. Concerned about bad debt write-offs at the taxpayer funded community college, Bennett had requested financial documents under the Texas Public Information Act. He requested 10 years worth of what accountants call "general ledger transactions" for seven accounts — and all documents related to them. Del Mar interpreted Bennett's request literally and provided him with a statement, which estimated the [...]

Del Mar College resolves public information problemFOIFT2014-10-01T14:14:43-05:00

Abbott kept dealings of Texas Enterprise Fund under wraps

FOIFT2014-09-29T15:54:53-05:00

By Wayne Slater The Dallas Morning News Originally published Sept. 28, 2014 AUSTIN — A decade ago, Attorney General Greg Abbott invoked a cloak of secrecy around the Texas Enterprise Fund. When The Dallas Morning News requested, under the Texas open-records law, a copy of the application of a company seeking taxpayer subsidies, Abbott said no. He ruled that the applications for money from the $500 million job-creation fund might contain confidential corporate information. The company was Vought Aircraft, which wanted a $35 million subsidy to expand in the Dallas area. But as it turns out, there was no application, a state audit [...]

Abbott kept dealings of Texas Enterprise Fund under wrapsFOIFT2014-09-29T15:54:53-05:00

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