Transparency

FOI Foundation’s 2023 conference videos now available online

2023-10-04T10:07:03-05:00

Video recordings from the 2023 Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas annual state conference, held in Austin on Sept. 28, are now available online via the foundation's YouTube channel or the FOIFT website. The recordings are free for everyone to view. Here's the link to the FOIFT website page containing the links to the videos: https://foift.org/about/video/  

FOI Foundation’s 2023 conference videos now available online2023-10-04T10:07:03-05:00

Austin American-Statesman, KVUE and KRIS win 2023 Spirit of FOI Awards

2023-09-29T12:16:47-05:00

For Immediate Release Sept. 28, 2023 Austin American-Statesman, KVUE and KRIS win 2023 Spirit of FOI Awards AUSTIN – Texas news organizations that exposed the truth about law enforcement’s response to the Uvalde school shooting and revealed a district attorney’s high rate of case dismissals have won this year’s Spirit of FOI Awards. The Austin American-Statesman, KVUE-TV of Austin and KRIS-TV of Corpus Christi received the awards at the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas state conference Thursday. The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award honors journalism that upholds First Amendment rights and promotes or uses open government laws. “When governments [...]

Austin American-Statesman, KVUE and KRIS win 2023 Spirit of FOI Awards2023-09-29T12:16:47-05:00

Seize the Moment: At 50-year mark, celebrate and strengthen the Public Information Act

2023-09-20T15:00:50-05:00

 By Kelley Shannon With trust in government waning, a Texas law can help keep a closer watch on public officials. Even citizens who continue to have faith in government can use this law to stay better informed. How is taxpayer money spent? What’s happening behind the scenes as government decisions are made? The Texas Public Information Act produces answers to these crucial questions. The act has been here for us for 50 years and is essential in protecting our right to know. Like a well-built old house, the landmark law is constantly in need of upkeep, yet it withstands the test [...]

Seize the Moment: At 50-year mark, celebrate and strengthen the Public Information Act2023-09-20T15:00:50-05:00

Audit details backlog of public records requests at Austin Police Department

2023-08-25T12:47:17-05:00

By Skye Seipp Austin American-Statesman Originally published Aug. 24, 2023 If you file an open records request with the Austin Police Department, you might have to wait significantly longer to receive that information than if you sought records from another city department. An audit found the Police Department has a backlog of nearly 20,000 public information requests, largely because its staff to handle these requests is 20 times smaller than that of the city's — even though the Police Department receives double the number of requests per year compared with the city. These findings were presented to the Austin City Council [...]

Audit details backlog of public records requests at Austin Police Department2023-08-25T12:47:17-05:00

Judge says DPS must release documents related to Uvalde shooting response

2023-06-30T08:39:44-05:00

By William Melhado The Texas Tribune Originally published June 29, 2023 A state district judge on Thursday ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to begin the process of releasing public records related to law enforcement’s response to the Uvalde school shooting, granting a request by The Texas Tribune and other news organizations. Over a dozen news organizations sued DPS last year, accusing it of unlawfully withholding the records related to the May shooting at Robb Elementary School. The records concern the botched police response, during which officers waited over an hour to confront the shooter who killed 19 children and [...]

Judge says DPS must release documents related to Uvalde shooting response2023-06-30T08:39:44-05:00
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