Transparency

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

2022-12-01T14:43:28-06:00

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 file2022-12-01T14:43:28-06:00

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

2022-11-30T20:52:46-06:00

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 journalists2022-11-30T20:52:46-06:00

VIDEOS: FOIFT State Conference 2022

2022-10-06T13:04:20-05:00

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 20222022-10-06T13:04:20-05:00

FOI Column: Times of trouble remind us Texas open government laws are here for everyone

2022-09-19T12:21:15-05:00

By Kelley Shannon Across the state, Texans are keeping a closer eye on their government. They’re asking questions and demanding information. There’s a renewed awareness of our transparency laws. Times of trouble can remind us all that the people have a right to know, and Texas certainly has been enduring months of difficulty following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Parents, community residents, journalists and others want details about the Uvalde tragedy to learn exactly how law enforcement responded and how the young man who committed the killings possibly might have been stopped before that day in May. [...]

FOI Column: Times of trouble remind us Texas open government laws are here for everyone2022-09-19T12:21:15-05:00

FOI Foundation of Texas state conference set for Sept. 29

2022-08-31T17:48:26-05:00

AUSTIN - Transparency issues surrounding the Uvalde mass shooting, First Amendment rights in school libraries and journalism classrooms and news leaders' and legislators' views on the current open government landscape are the focus of the upcoming FOI Foundation state conference, "New Takes on Texas Transparency." The event will be Thursday, Sept. 29, at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center, 1900 University Ave., in Austin. Individual tickets and sponsorships are available for purchase online at www.foift.org. Discounted hotel rooms can be reserved for the night of Sept. 28. (Use this reservation link; the cutoff date for the conference hotel room rate is Monday, [...]

FOI Foundation of Texas state conference set for Sept. 292022-08-31T17:48:26-05:00
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