Transparency

In reversal, Texas Supreme Court accepts execution drug appeal

2018-10-22T17:34:51-05:00

By Chuck Lindell Austin American-Statesman Originally published Oct. 19, 2018 The Texas Supreme Court has announced that it will review a lower court decision that required prison officials to identify the pharmacy that supplied the state with execution drugs under a 2014 legal challenge. The state’s highest civil court had rejected the case in June but reversed itself Friday — a rarely granted move that came after lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that the effort to unmask the pharmacy was an attack on the death penalty that will jeopardize the continued availability of lethal-injection drugs. Once identified, pharmacies [...]

In reversal, Texas Supreme Court accepts execution drug appeal2018-10-22T17:34:51-05:00

Facing complaints of excessive fees, Texas counties release billing records of their opioid lawyers for free

2018-10-11T15:10:51-05:00

By Daniel Fisher Legal NewsLine Originally published Oct. 10, 2018 Texas counties that demanded tens of thousands of dollars to provide billing records from outside attorneys representing them in opioid lawsuits have mostly agreed to hand them over for free, after complaints were filed with the Texas Attorney General's Office alleging the cost estimates were excessive and violated the Texas Public Information Act. A number of counties initially quoted costs of as much as $750 an hour for outside attorneys to review and redact privileged information from billing statements, which are considered public records under Texas law. The cost demands from [...]

Facing complaints of excessive fees, Texas counties release billing records of their opioid lawyers for free2018-10-11T15:10:51-05:00

Travis County sheriff sues AG’s office to keep inmate’s death records confidential

2018-10-03T14:58:59-05:00

By Katie Hall Austin American-Statesman Originally published Oct. 2, 2018 Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez is suing to keep some information about a man who died at the county jail confidential after the American-Statesman requested the internal investigation report into the inmate’s death. Justin Daniel Dominguez, 24, was brought into the Travis County Jail on a domestic violence assault charge the night of June 10, 2016, and was pronounced dead the next morning. According to the unredacted parts of the investigation report, several inmates said Dominguez had been beating on the door and pressing the intercom button requesting medical attention, but [...]

Travis County sheriff sues AG’s office to keep inmate’s death records confidential2018-10-03T14:58:59-05:00

Austin American-Statesman, KBTX-TV receive Spirit of FOI Awards

2018-09-24T15:38:02-05:00

For Immediate Release Sept. 21, 2018 Austin American-Statesman, KBTX-TV receive Spirit of FOI Awards for open government reporting AUSTIN - Two Texas news organizations have won the Spirit of FOI Award for reports exposing the secrecy behind Austin’s city manager selection process and the peculiar lack of information following the resignation of the Bryan Independent School District superintendent. The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award, presented by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, highlights journalism that upholds First Amendment principles and promotes or uses open government laws such as the Texas Public Information Act. The awards were presented Friday at [...]

Austin American-Statesman, KBTX-TV receive Spirit of FOI Awards2018-09-24T15:38:02-05:00

Show us the money, let us see how tax dollars are spent

2022-03-31T17:08:28-05:00

By Kelley Shannon Executive Director Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas It’s quite simple, really. We Texans have a right to know how our taxpayer dollars are spent. It’s our money. We, the people, choose our government. Our elected public officials represent us. They manage and spend our tax money. But we, the people,get to decide whether they are doing it well. To do that, we need light shining on the workings of our government. But that essential element of our democracy is in jeopardy in Texas. Taxpayers are being denied information about government contracts with private companies and about tax [...]

Show us the money, let us see how tax dollars are spent2022-03-31T17:08:28-05:00
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