Texas Legislature

Corpus Christi Caller-Times Editorial: What are SLAPP lawsuits and why do you need a law to protect you from them?

FOIFT2019-02-19T17:08:51-06:00

By Corpus Christi Caller-Times Editorial Board Originally published Feb. 15, 2019 Why would a law with the positive-sounding name Texas Citizens Participation Act be in danger? From whom? Should you be worried? The short answer to the last question is yes. You should be worried unless you are insanely rich and don't value the public good above your own. What does this law do? Before 2011, people, businesses and other organizations with deep pockets could make their critics go away by filing frivolous lawsuits. They were frivolous because their purpose was not so much to win in court as to bury [...]

Corpus Christi Caller-Times Editorial: What are SLAPP lawsuits and why do you need a law to protect you from them?FOIFT2019-02-19T17:08:51-06:00

Rep. Todd Hunter files two major transparency bills at Texas Capitol

FOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:26-05:00

By Kelley Shannon Executive Director FOI Foundation of Texas Feb. 13, 2019 Two major bills in the FOI Foundation and Texas Sunshine Coalition open government legislative agenda have been filed by Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi. House Bill 1655 would restore public access to dates of birth in many public documents, including criminal justice records and candidate applications. This helps to ensure accuracy in reporting and allows public vetting of politicians running for office. House Bill 1700, a bill that closes the "custodian loophole" in the Texas Public Information Act, would make it easer to obtain public records contained in officials' private devices or [...]

Rep. Todd Hunter files two major transparency bills at Texas CapitolFOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:26-05:00

Commentary: Transparency, economic development regulations are dying in Texas

FOIFT2019-02-07T17:39:55-06:00

By Nathan M. Jensen and Calvin Thrall University of Texas Commentary in Austin American-Statesman Originally published Feb. 6, 2019 Amazon’s search for a second headquarters, the so called HQ2, should make Texans concerned about the lack of transparency of economic development. Many cities have not released their HQ2 bids to the public, even though the competition is now complete. In Texas, none of our cities including Austin, Dallas and Houston has released its bid. But this lack of transparency is not limited to the competition for Amazon. Economic development policy is largely shielded from the public by Texas public records laws. [...]

Commentary: Transparency, economic development regulations are dying in TexasFOIFT2019-02-07T17:39:55-06:00

Editorial: Don’t bury police video with those who die in custody

FOIFT2019-01-16T18:48:25-06:00

By American-Statesman Editorial BoardAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published Jan. 10, 2019 Police video has the power to give an unbiased, unflinching view of what really happened — but it works only when the public is allowed to see it. We’ve seen the benefits of police camera footage clearing up the circumstances of officer-involved shootings and allowing for scrutiny of high-profile arrests. Think of what dashboard camera footage meant for our understanding of the 2015 forceful arrest of elementary schoolteacher Breaion King and the 2016 fatal shooting of 17-year-old David Joseph. But in other cases, a pernicious loophole in state law has allowed police agencies to refuse to release videos [...]

Editorial: Don’t bury police video with those who die in custodyFOIFT2019-01-16T18:48:25-06:00

In reversal, city of Pharr releases city manager’s salary

FOIFT2019-01-10T00:34:08-06:00

By Dave Hendricks Progress TimesOriginally published Jan. 9, 2019 After attempting to keep City Manager Alex Meade’s salary a secret, Pharr announced Wednesday that “in the interest of continuing its commitment to transparency” the city would release the information. ... The Texas Public Information Act includes an exception for “information that, if released, would give advantage to a competitor or bidder.” A controversial Texas Supreme Court decision called Boeing v. Paxton effectively broadened that exception, concluding the exception covered information that would provide “an advantage, not whether it would be a decisive advantage.” Pharr competes with other cities to attract and [...]

In reversal, city of Pharr releases city manager’s salaryFOIFT2019-01-10T00:34:08-06:00

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