Transparency

Texas Sunshine Coalition members unite for open government

FOIFT2023-03-22T12:44:32-05:00

The Texas Sunshine Coalition is a diverse group of 18 organizations recognizing the need to strengthen state transparency laws. Access to government information allows us to hold government accountable. All Texans deserve to know how our leaders are conducting business and spending taxpayer dollars. Coalition members work with lawmakers of both political parties, encouraging a bipartisan approach to open government. The Texas Sunshine Coalition will support transparency measures in the 2023 Legislature centered on these initiatives: Contracting Transparency Although the Legislature passed Senate Bill 943 in 2019 to increase public access to government contracts after a troublesome Texas Supreme Court ruling [...]

Texas Sunshine Coalition members unite for open governmentFOIFT2023-03-22T12:44:32-05:00

Attorney general’s office orders University of Texas to release unredacted NIL service contract

FOIFT2023-01-17T09:13:30-06:00

By Asher Price Axios Originally published Jan. 12, 2023 More than a year after Axios asked the University of Texas for a contract with a firm that offers advice on handling the new frontier of student-athletes and sponsorship money, the state attorney general's office forced university officials to fork over an unredacted copy. Why it matters: University administrators officially took no stance on the full release of the contract, but they acknowledged they defer to business interests who want information kept under wraps and asked for an opinion from the attorney general — instead of simply releasing it to the public. [...]

Attorney general’s office orders University of Texas to release unredacted NIL service contractFOIFT2023-01-17T09:13:30-06:00

Statesman: Texas lawmakers signed NDAs to quietly obtain Uvalde shooting case file

FOIFT2022-12-01T14:43:28-06:00

By Ryan Autullo and Tony Plohetski Austin American-Statesman Originally published Dec. 1, 2022 More than six months after a mass shooting in Uvalde, grieving families and the public are continuing a fierce fight for investigative records, including videos and officer statements, that would help reveal the full truth of the failed law enforcement response at Robb Elementary School. But as they press for answers from records that authorities insist remain confidential, six Texas lawmakers have quietly obtained investigatory information through written agreements with the Texas Department of Public Safety in which they vowed to keep the records secret, the American-Statesman has [...]

Statesman: Texas lawmakers signed NDAs to quietly obtain Uvalde shooting case fileFOIFT2022-12-01T14:43:28-06:00

FOIFT joins transparency, news media groups in court briefs to protect journalists

FOIFT2022-11-30T20:52:46-06:00

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas is working with other open government and news media organizations in filing briefs in federal court cases aimed at ensuring newsgathering rights. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the Texas Association of Broadcasters and more than two dozen other groups, including FOIFT, are part of an amicus brief filed this month urging a federal appeals court to uphold a lower court's blocking of Texas' restrictive drone photography law. The brief, in a lawsuit brought by the National Press Photographers Association and the Texas Press Association against Texas officials, notes that drone photography [...]

FOIFT joins transparency, news media groups in court briefs to protect journalistsFOIFT2022-11-30T20:52:46-06:00

VIDEOS: FOIFT State Conference 2022

FOIFT2022-10-06T13:04:20-05:00

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas state conference Sept. 29, 2022, in Austin featured expert panelists and lively discussions. Watch videos from the conference sessions and luncheon program by clicking the links below. Session 1: The First Amendment and public schools: Today’s challenges https://youtu.be/LRbND_Tu2Ec Session 2: A fresh look at Texas transparency https://youtu.be/8kLRW3b5WrM Luncheon keynote panel: State Rep. Todd Hunter and Sen. Nathan Johnson, moderated by Josh Hinkle of KXAN https://youtu.be/BZ8BYN3tKjA John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon - James Madison Award recipient Ross Ramsey https://youtu.be/IR08SrhX0Pc John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon - Spirit of FOI Awards presentation and Ralph Langer scholarship announcement https://youtu.be/L7R1ykvGRTg [...]

VIDEOS: FOIFT State Conference 2022FOIFT2022-10-06T13:04:20-05:00

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