PIA

Texas Public Information Act’s 50th anniversary an excellent time to strengthen the landmark law

FOIFT2023-02-01T09:19:32-06:00

By Kelley Shannon Executive Director Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas Fifty years ago, responding to public demand in an era of reform, Texas enacted a sweeping law ensuring the people’s right to know about their government. The Texas Public Information Act – originally known as the Open Records Act when it passed in 1973 – was one of the strongest transparency laws in the nation. It allowed Texans to hold their state and local governments accountable by obtaining all sorts of public records. “The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is [...]

Texas Public Information Act’s 50th anniversary an excellent time to strengthen the landmark lawFOIFT2023-02-01T09:19:32-06:00

Texas Sunshine Coalition members unite for open government

FOIFT2023-03-22T12:44:32-05:00

The Texas Sunshine Coalition is a diverse group of 18 organizations recognizing the need to strengthen state transparency laws. Access to government information allows us to hold government accountable. All Texans deserve to know how our leaders are conducting business and spending taxpayer dollars. Coalition members work with lawmakers of both political parties, encouraging a bipartisan approach to open government. The Texas Sunshine Coalition will support transparency measures in the 2023 Legislature centered on these initiatives: Contracting Transparency Although the Legislature passed Senate Bill 943 in 2019 to increase public access to government contracts after a troublesome Texas Supreme Court ruling [...]

Texas Sunshine Coalition members unite for open governmentFOIFT2023-03-22T12:44:32-05:00

Attorney general’s office orders University of Texas to release unredacted NIL service contract

FOIFT2023-01-17T09:13:30-06:00

By Asher Price Axios Originally published Jan. 12, 2023 More than a year after Axios asked the University of Texas for a contract with a firm that offers advice on handling the new frontier of student-athletes and sponsorship money, the state attorney general's office forced university officials to fork over an unredacted copy. Why it matters: University administrators officially took no stance on the full release of the contract, but they acknowledged they defer to business interests who want information kept under wraps and asked for an opinion from the attorney general — instead of simply releasing it to the public. [...]

Attorney general’s office orders University of Texas to release unredacted NIL service contractFOIFT2023-01-17T09:13:30-06:00

Is ERCOT shielded from lawsuits? Legal debate reaches Texas Supreme Court, may have TPIA implications

FOIFT2023-01-10T15:39:43-06:00

By Bob Sechler Austin American-Statesman Originally published Jan. 9, 2023 A long-standing contention by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas that it is shielded from lawsuits because of governmental immunity came under legal attack Monday during arguments before the state Supreme Court in two cases with far-reaching implications for the entity that manages the power grid. If a determination is made that ERCOT lacks such immunity, "chaos" would ensue, said Wallace Jefferson, an attorney representing ERCOT in one of them. The Public Utility Commission of Texas "can't both have complete authority over everything that ERCOT does and 254 counties — state courts [...]

Is ERCOT shielded from lawsuits? Legal debate reaches Texas Supreme Court, may have TPIA implicationsFOIFT2023-01-10T15:39:43-06:00

VIDEOS: FOIFT State Conference 2022

FOIFT2022-10-06T13:04:20-05:00

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas state conference Sept. 29, 2022, in Austin featured expert panelists and lively discussions. Watch videos from the conference sessions and luncheon program by clicking the links below. Session 1: The First Amendment and public schools: Today’s challenges https://youtu.be/LRbND_Tu2Ec Session 2: A fresh look at Texas transparency https://youtu.be/8kLRW3b5WrM Luncheon keynote panel: State Rep. Todd Hunter and Sen. Nathan Johnson, moderated by Josh Hinkle of KXAN https://youtu.be/BZ8BYN3tKjA John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon - James Madison Award recipient Ross Ramsey https://youtu.be/IR08SrhX0Pc John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon - Spirit of FOI Awards presentation and Ralph Langer scholarship announcement https://youtu.be/L7R1ykvGRTg [...]

VIDEOS: FOIFT State Conference 2022FOIFT2022-10-06T13:04:20-05:00

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