Texas Legislature

Sunshine Week Column: Sun starting to shine again on Texas government

FOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:24-05:00

By Kelley Shannon Texans have something to celebrate during Sunshine Week this year. But we also have more work to do to protect the public’s right to know about our government. Sunshine Week, March 15-21, is an annual national initiative proclaiming the importance of access to public information. First, the bright spot for Texas: Essential elements of contracts between governments and private companies – including pricing and promises – are public again under a law that took effect Jan. 1. It seems like those basics of how taxpayer dollars are spent should be easily accessible, doesn’t it? They were, for years, [...]

Sunshine Week Column: Sun starting to shine again on Texas governmentFOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:24-05:00

Roe v. Wade was filed 50 years ago, but Texas still won’t release the full legal files

FOIFT2020-03-08T18:09:43-05:00

By Karen BlumenthalOpinion piece in The Dallas Morning NewsOriginally published March 8, 2020 Getting state and local government records of any kind, especially those of a famous legal case that is nearly 50 years old, should not require a lawyer or a bucket of cash. The state’s Public Information Act is supposed to compel state and local governmental bodies to release records to those who request them within 10 business days. That kind of transparency is crucial to an open society and trust and accountability in government. But in recent years, accessing these documents has gotten harder and more expensive and [...]

Roe v. Wade was filed 50 years ago, but Texas still won’t release the full legal filesFOIFT2020-03-08T18:09:43-05:00

Newly enacted Texas law to shine light on spending of taxpayer money

FOIFT2020-01-06T17:18:49-06:00

By Asher PriceAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published Jan. 3, 2020 How much taxpayer money did the University of Texas pay the rapper Ludacris to perform after a spring football game last year? Or how much money is the Teacher Retirement System paying for new digs in downtown Austin? Public entities declined to release information that would answer either of these questions, posed by the American-Statesman, citing rulings handed down by the Texas Supreme Court in 2015. They were among dozens of requests the Statesman made under the Texas Public Information Act over the past four years that were denied, citing the same rulings. [...]

Newly enacted Texas law to shine light on spending of taxpayer moneyFOIFT2020-01-06T17:18:49-06:00

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

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