Texas Legislature

Judge rules portion of Texas Open Meetings Act unconstitutional

FOIFT2017-04-05T13:47:20-05:00

By Jesse Mendoza Community Impact Newspaper Originally published April 4, 2017 Presiding Judge Randy Clapp of Wharton County’s 329th District Court ruled that a portion of the Texas Open Meetings Act is unconstitutional—thus dismissing the case against Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal and other officials. The case, which was heard in Montgomery County’s 221st District Court, brought to question whether Doyal, Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley, Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark and political consultant Marc Davenport violated the Texas Open Meetings Act while negotiating details of the November 2015 Montgomery County road bond. However, the case never made it to trial. [...]

Judge rules portion of Texas Open Meetings Act unconstitutionalFOIFT2017-04-05T13:47:20-05:00

Texas Senate approves major Public Information Act bills

FOIFT2017-03-28T20:20:01-05:00

The Texas Senate passed two major bills Tuesday that would restore public access to government records showing how taxpayer money is spent. Senate Bill 407 and Senate Bill 408 are both authored by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin. They won final Senate passage and now move on to the House of Representatives. Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, filed identical bills in the House in the bipartisan effort. Both bills would undo damaging court rulings that weakened the Texas open records law, long considered one of the strongest in the nation. SB 407 would restore access to many taxpayer-funded contracts that were placed [...]

Texas Senate approves major Public Information Act billsFOIFT2017-03-28T20:20:01-05:00

Texas must act now to repair damage to Public Information Act

FOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:36-05:00

By Kelley Shannon Executive Director Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas We Texans are fortunate when it comes to access to government information. Correction. We were fortunate. For more than 40 years, Texas’ open records law was one of the nation’s strongest. The Texas Public Information Act, originating during a time of scandal in the early 1970s, presumes all government records are available to citizens, unless there’s a specific exception preventing release of the document. But our modern era of openness shifted dramatically with two state Supreme Court decisions in 2015 known as the Boeing ruling and the Greater Houston Partnership [...]

Texas must act now to repair damage to Public Information ActFOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:36-05:00

Some Texas lawmakers want to close open records loophole

FOIFT2017-03-01T14:05:44-06:00

By Nicole Cobler San Antonio Express-News Originally published Feb. 28, 2017 Some state lawmakers are aiming to close an open records loophole in light of a 2015 Texas Supreme court ruling that allows governments to withhold records turned over to agencies by businesses. Lawmakers debated a slew of open records legislation in a Senate hearing Tuesday, including Sen. Kirk Watson’s bill that responds to the 2015 Boeing ruling by the state’s highest court, which blocked the release of some details of a lease between the Boeing Co. and the Port Authority of San Antonio because the aerospace manufacturer said making the [...]

Some Texas lawmakers want to close open records loopholeFOIFT2017-03-01T14:05:44-06:00

Senate committee hears Boeing, Greater Houston Partnership repair bills

FOIFT2017-02-28T19:48:29-06:00

AUSTIN - Witnesses who support repairing the Texas Public Information Act and boosting citizens' access to records showing how taxpayer money is spent urged a state Senate committee Tuesday to rework parts of the act. Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, in a hearing before the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, presented legislation that would strengthen the Public Information Act. Senate Bill 407 and Senate Bill 408, respectively, would undo two Texas Supreme Court decisions in 2015 known as the Boeing and the Greater Houston Partnership rulings. The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas is supporting the two bills as part of its major [...]

Senate committee hears Boeing, Greater Houston Partnership repair billsFOIFT2017-02-28T19:48:29-06:00

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