Transparency

Austin American-Statesman, KVUE and Odessa American win 2025 Spirit of FOI Awards

FOIFT2025-09-29T17:07:01-05:00

For Immediate Release Sept. 26, 2025 AUSTIN – Reporting on a secret decision to spend public money on a Travis County official’s home security system and a series of editorials and news stories about questionable ethics by Odessa city leaders have won this year’s Spirit of FOI Awards. The Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV in a joint reporting effort won the Class AA large market award, and the Odessa American won in the Class A smaller market category. The news outlets were honored at the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas state conference Friday. KXAN and The Texas Newsroom each received an [...]

Austin American-Statesman, KVUE and Odessa American win 2025 Spirit of FOI AwardsFOIFT2025-09-29T17:07:01-05:00

FOI Column: Open government impacts our lives in big ways

FOIFT2025-09-19T10:42:45-05:00

By Kelley Shannon If you wonder how open government laws affect you, think about these basics: The local taxes we pay. The roads we drive on. Even, sometimes, matters of life and death. Access to information through public meetings and records helps us know about the decisions elected officials are making on our behalf. It allows us to ask questions, to speak out, to demand change. After all, in our nation, government belongs to us. This summer’s deadly Hill Country flooding underscores the need for openness and accountability to enhance public safety. Questions have arisen about transparency surrounding evacuation plans, warning [...]

FOI Column: Open government impacts our lives in big waysFOIFT2025-09-19T10:42:45-05:00

Attorney and former county judge Bill Aleshire to receive James Madison Award

FOIFT2025-09-03T16:39:27-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 3, 2025 AUSTIN – Bill Aleshire, an attorney devoted to protecting the public’s access to government information, will receive the prestigious James Madison Award for his decades-long commitment to upholding Texas’ open meetings and open records laws. Aleshire, who initially made his mark in government transparency as a public official and served as Travis County judge, more recently has worked as a zealous attorney ensuring government compliance with the state’s Open Meetings Act and Public Information Act. The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas bestows the James Madison Award for dedication to the principles of the First [...]

Attorney and former county judge Bill Aleshire to receive James Madison AwardFOIFT2025-09-03T16:39:27-05:00

Police records bill that raised transparency concerns dies in special session

FOIFT2025-09-04T09:32:01-05:00

UPDATE, Sept. 4: The Texas House adjourned its special session Wednesday night without taking action on the Senate version of the police records bill. The Senate had stripped out public access amendments the House had added. HB 15 is dead for this special session. UPDATE, Sept. 3: After the House approved HB 15 on Thursday with two amendments - one protecting the deceased suspect law passed in 2023 to allow public access to information when someone dies in police custody and the other protecting the rights of families in mass casualty events like Uvalde to view information - the bill moved [...]

Police records bill that raised transparency concerns dies in special sessionFOIFT2025-09-04T09:32:01-05:00

Appeals court orders release of Uvalde school shooting records

FOIFT2025-07-21T15:14:11-05:00

By Ayden Runnels The Texas Tribune Originally published July 16, 2025 A state appeals court judge on Wednesday ordered Uvalde County and its school district to release records and documents related to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, affirming a previous trial court order. A coalition of 18 news organizations, including The Texas Tribune, sued the City of Uvalde, Uvalde County and the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District in 2022 for access to body camera footage, 911 call records and communications made during the school shooting. Law enforcements’ response to Texas’ deadliest school shooting, in which 19 students and two teachers [...]

Appeals court orders release of Uvalde school shooting recordsFOIFT2025-07-21T15:14:11-05:00

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