PIA

Records show Texas transportation agency’s land deals under federal grand jury investigation

FOIFT2014-04-07T14:48:38-05:00

By Kevin Krause and Brandon Formby The Dallas Morning News Originally published April 7, 2014 The Texas Department of Transportation’s land purchases for the expansion of Interstate 35E in North Texas are part of a federal grand jury’s probe into potential criminal activity, according to state records obtained by The Dallas Morning News. The agency confirmed the federal investigation in a letter sent last month to the state attorney general’s office. TxDOT officials declined last week to discuss the inquiry, its scope or what prompted it. “I really can’t comment on any aspect of it just because of the fact that it’s [...]

Records show Texas transportation agency’s land deals under federal grand jury investigationFOIFT2014-04-07T14:48:38-05:00

Why Texas wants to keep secret its supplier of execution drugs

FOIFT2014-04-02T14:42:37-05:00

By Michael Graczyk Associated Press Originally published April 2, 2014 in The Christian Science Monitor HOUSTON - Texas is set to execute its first inmate with a new batch of drugs, but the state prison agency remains determined to keep its supplier a secret, citing threats of violence to pharmacies that sell drugs used in lethal injections. Since obtaining a new supply of the drug pentobarbital two weeks ago, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice had cited unspecified security concerns in refusing to disclose the source and other details about the sedative it plans to use to put inmates to death. But in a [...]

Why Texas wants to keep secret its supplier of execution drugsFOIFT2014-04-02T14:42:37-05:00

DMN: Force elected officials to publicly vote on open records issues

FOIFT2014-04-01T15:39:48-05:00

By Scott K. Parks The Dallas Morning News Originally published March 31, 2014 Among friends, keeping secrets is a good thing. Not so much when it comes to governments keeping secrets from citizens. Local governments in North Texas have a penchant for secrecy. They routinely deny citizen requests for public records under a system that only a crook or a government-paid lawyer could love. First, a little background. The Texas Public Information Act allows any citizen to file a written request for records kept in government file cabinets or computers. The law applies to local governments, state agencies, the Legislature and [...]

DMN: Force elected officials to publicly vote on open records issuesFOIFT2014-04-01T15:39:48-05:00

FOI Foundation to host Open Government Seminar in Houston

FOIFT2014-03-21T15:11:49-05:00

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas will soon host an Open Government Seminar in Houston featuring training in the state’s public meetings and public records laws. The non-profit FOI Foundation, partnering with Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office, will offer the one-day seminar on April 30. It is designed for government employees, journalists and members of the general public who want to learn more about the Texas Public Information Act and Texas Open Meetings Act. “This training on Texas open government laws provides important information for public employees and essential tools for citizens as they participate in our democracy,” said [...]

FOI Foundation to host Open Government Seminar in HoustonFOIFT2014-03-21T15:11:49-05:00

Sunshine Week: The Eagle reports on Texas universities and open records

FOIFT2014-03-20T18:44:02-05:00

By Allen Reed The Bryan-College Station Eagle Originally published March 18, 2014 It's Sunshine Week, so let's look at how many information requests were sent to the top universities in Texas last year and how many of those are referred to the Texas attorney general. In February, The Eagle asked the six university systems and their flagship institutions for “the number of information requests received during the 2013 calendar year and the number of those requests for which an attorney general ruling was sought.” Last year, for example, Texas A&M received about 890 open records requests and sent about 10 percent [...]

Sunshine Week: The Eagle reports on Texas universities and open recordsFOIFT2014-03-20T18:44:02-05:00

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