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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

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

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

Attorney Joel White, former FOI Foundation president, remembered as strong advocate for press freedom, open government

FOIFT2018-09-06T23:08:20-05:00

First Amendment attorney Joel White, a former president of the FOI Foundation of Texas and longtime champion of open government, has passed away. White died July 21 in Cartagena, Colombia. He became ill during a trip, having suffered a perforated diverticulitis and septic shock, according to friends and his wife, Melinda Rainey. In his law practice in Austin, White represented news media clients in many types of cases including court access, open records, subpoenas and libel. He also represented clients in finance, energy, construction and manufacturing. He was board certified in civil appellate law and was named one of the best lawyers in [...]

Attorney Joel White, former FOI Foundation president, remembered as strong advocate for press freedom, open governmentFOIFT2018-09-06T23:08:20-05:00

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