Texas Legislature

Legislative Update: 2019 session

FOIFT2022-04-13T14:38:52-05:00

AUSTIN – The Texas Legislature approved measures this session to repair holes in the state’s Public Information Act and shore up the Open Meetings Act in the wake of detrimental court rulings. The bipartisan initiatives won final approval in the days and hours before lawmakers adjourned Monday. They address openness in government contracting; the ability to access public records stored in private electronic accounts; and the ban on government officials meeting secretly in “walking quorums.” These and several other transparency bills now head to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. “The Freedom of Information Foundation was pleased to work with broad-based bipartisan organizations [...]

Legislative Update: 2019 sessionFOIFT2022-04-13T14:38:52-05:00

Sunshine Week: Free speech, public’s right to know under attack in Texas, so let’s act now

FOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:25-05:00

By Kelley Shannon Executive Director FOI Foundation of Texas We Texans are fiercely independent and like to make our views known. On that, surely, we can agree. Using our First Amendment right to speak out goes hand in hand with access to public information that helps us understand how our government functions. Unfortunately, both basic American principles – free speech and the people’s right to know – are under attack in Texas. There’s no better time to urge our state lawmakers to protect these precious freedoms than “Sunshine Week,” March 10-16, a nationwide celebration of open government. The Texas Sunshine Coalition, [...]

Sunshine Week: Free speech, public’s right to know under attack in Texas, so let’s act nowFOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:25-05:00

Legislators hear testimony on closing police loophole in Texas Public Information Act

FOIFT2019-02-28T05:52:46-06:00

AUSTIN _ The parents of teens and young adults who died in police custody urged the House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday to close a loophole in the Public Information Act so they can access records about their loved ones' deaths. "Government transparency is government transparency, even when it's not pretty," said House Speaker Pro Tem Joe Moody, D-El Paso, as he explained the need for his House Bill 147. "It's better for people to know the truth, even if it's ugly and complicated and challenging." The legislation would prevent law enforcement agencies from withholding records in cases that did not [...]

Legislators hear testimony on closing police loophole in Texas Public Information ActFOIFT2019-02-28T05:52:46-06:00

Texas’ highest criminal court strikes down a provision of Open Meetings Act as ‘constitutionally vague’

FOIFT2019-02-27T18:03:41-06:00

By Emma Platoff The Texas Tribune Originally published Feb. 27, 2019 In a major blow to the state’s government transparency laws, Texas’ highest criminal court has struck down a significant provision of the Texas Open Meetings Act, calling it “unconstitutionally vague.” That law, which imposes basic requirements providing for public access to and information about governmental meetings, makes it a crime for public officials to “knowingly [conspire] to circumvent this chapter by meeting in numbers less than a quorum for the purpose of secret deliberations.” That provision aims to keep public officials from convening smaller meetings — without an official quorum [...]

Texas’ highest criminal court strikes down a provision of Open Meetings Act as ‘constitutionally vague’FOIFT2019-02-27T18:03:41-06:00

Lawmakers file bill to repair Texas Public Information Act, help citizens track spending

FOIFT2019-02-25T19:16:07-06:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Feb. 21, 2019 AUSTIN – Two Texas lawmakers filed bipartisan legislation Thursday to strengthen the state’s Public Information Act and give Texans the ability to once again track the spending of taxpayer money. Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, filed Senate Bill 943 and House Bill 2189, respectively. The identical pieces of legislation address citizens’ access to information contained in and surrounding state and local government contracts. The proposal takes into account months of work by the diverse Texas Sunshine Coalition as well as the competitive concerns of businesses and non-profits that contract with the [...]

Lawmakers file bill to repair Texas Public Information Act, help citizens track spendingFOIFT2019-02-25T19:16:07-06:00

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