Texas Legislature

TribTalk: R.I.P, the Texas Public Information Act

FOIFT2018-12-07T15:42:39-06:00

By Joe Larsen Attorney Gregor Cassidy, PLLC Board Member, FOI Foundation of Texas Originally published Dec. 7, 2018, in the Texas Tribune The once-robust Texas Public Information Act lies bleeding. The Texas Supreme Court’s decision this year to deny a newspaper’s petition for review of the opinion of the 1st Court of Appeals in the case of Nehls v. Hartman Newspapers is the latest deep cut. Nehls effectively nullifies the provision of the PIA that says a court shall award attorneys’ fees to a requestor who substantially prevails against a governmental body in a lawsuit to require release of public information. [...]

TribTalk: R.I.P, the Texas Public Information ActFOIFT2018-12-07T15:42:39-06:00

Paris News Column: Time to fight for your information rights

FOIFT2018-12-04T14:31:49-06:00

By Klark Byrd The Paris News Originally published Dec. 2, 2018 Texas Sunshine Laws are bumming me out. Sunshine Laws protect the public’s right to access information generated by the government and the right to witness proceedings of government agencies, boards and committees. There’s usually two parts, a public information act and an open meetings act. Texas, like every other state in which I’ve practiced journalism, has both acts. Unfortunately, Texas’ Sunshine Laws do little to no good. Sources in my research tell me that wasn’t always the case. In fact, I’ve learned Texas’ protection of the public’s right to know [...]

Paris News Column: Time to fight for your information rightsFOIFT2018-12-04T14:31:49-06:00

Records obtained under Public Information Act show Calhoun Port commissioners spent 19K on trip to Chile

FOIFT2018-12-03T14:09:07-06:00

By Jessica Priest Victoria Advocate Originally published Dec. 1, 2018 The Calhoun Port Authority spent about $19,000 to send three board members and their wives to an October conference in Chile. By comparison, a similarly sized port 90 miles east along the Texas coast, Port Freeport, sent its port director and one board member to the international conference. The much-larger Port Houston sent no one to the same conference. The Calhoun Port Authority board members who attended – Randy L. Boyd, Dell R. Weathersby, and Shields A. “Tony” Holladay Sr. – have not shared with the public much of what they [...]

Records obtained under Public Information Act show Calhoun Port commissioners spent 19K on trip to ChileFOIFT2018-12-03T14:09:07-06:00

Denied Evidence: KXAN examines denial of information in another death in police custody

FOIFT2018-11-20T18:37:05-06:00

By Josh Hinkle KXAN, Austin Originally published Nov. 19, 2018 Citing an obscure legal loophole, the Travis County Sheriff's Office blocked a grieving mother's request for evidence of how her 21-year-old son died in jail. Now, KXAN uncovers video and other records of the painful days leading up to his death and his interactions with jail staff in those final hours. The ongoing report has sparked a new investigation into the response to his medical needs and prompted a legislative effort to eliminate that loophole, as we reveal police agencies across Texas using it to keep details about dozens of other [...]

Denied Evidence: KXAN examines denial of information in another death in police custodyFOIFT2018-11-20T18:37:05-06:00

Aligning open government ideals with law enforcement provisions

FOIFT2018-11-20T18:17:23-06:00

By Paul C. Watler Dallas Partner, Jackson Walker Past president, FOI Foundation of Texas Originally published Oct. 30, 2018 In Texas, our public information act is founded on the proposition that the people are sovereign and entitled to full disclosure of governmental affairs in order to retain control of public institutions. Embedded in our state FOI law is the policy that the people “do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know.” As a ringing enunciation of Jeffersonian democracy, the language is without [...]

Aligning open government ideals with law enforcement provisionsFOIFT2018-11-20T18:17:23-06:00

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