Transparency

By Kelley Shannon Executive Director FOI Foundation of Texas  What unites Texans of all political persuasions is the nonpartisan principle that our government must operate in the sunlight. We have the right – and responsibility – to keep watch on how tax money is spent and how public officials make decisions. But it takes access to information to do it. Our state transparency laws envision citizens having power over government. Every legislative session, updates and improvements are needed so that the Texas Public Information Act and the Texas Open Meetings Act function as intended. The Texas Sunshine Coalition, representing 16 organizations [...]

The Texas Sunshine Coalition, a diverse group of organizations supporting government transparency, is working to pass state legislation this year to promote the free flow of information. Organizations participating in the Sunshine Coalition are the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas; Texas Association of Broadcasters; Texas Press Association; Texas Public Policy Foundation; Institute for Justice; ACLU of Texas; Every Texan; Common Cause; Grassroots America; League of Women Voters of Texas; SMU School of Law First Amendment Clinic; Texas Appleseed; Texas Association of Licensed Investigators; Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom; Public Citizen; and PublicData.com. Some of the transparency  bills have already [...]