By Jay Root and Shannon NajmabadiThe Texas TribuneOriginally published Oct. 9, 2019 The Texas Tribune is suing to discover what happened to millions raised mostly from top lobbying firms, corporations, wealthy businesspeople and trade groups for the inauguration of Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Read the full story here.
Issued by NPPAFor Immediate ReleaseSept. 26, 2019 Austin, Tx. – The National Press Photographers Association, the Texas Press Association and an independent journalist filed a lawsuit today in Austin federal court challenging a Texas law— Texas Government Code Chapter 423—that makes it a crime for visual journalists and others to use drones for newsgathering and other similar activities. Texas’s drone law is among the most restrictive in the country. Chapter 423 makes it a crime and imposes civil penalties on journalists’ use of drones to capture images of a person or privately owned real property, regardless of where the drone is located. The [...]
For Immediate Release Sept. 24, 2019 AUSTIN _ The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas today expressed deep concern regarding the lack of media and public access to judicial proceedings being held in makeshift immigration courts on the Texas-Mexico border. Public and media access to immigration-related judicial proceedings should be unfettered; both the U.S. Constitution and this country’s long and proud tradition of open courts mandate full transparency. Allowing public and media access to only a portion of such proceedings – those held in traditional courtrooms – is insufficient to ensure the public’s right to know about its government. When the subjects [...]
Sen. Kirk Watson, delivering the keynote address at the FOI Foundation of Texas conference, warned Friday of efforts by some lawmakers to block access to redistricting information and urged Texans to demand more transparency. Watson, D-Austin, noted that House Bill 4181 makes more government records subject to legislative privilege, thus shielding them from public access. He said the bill "blew through the House without a hearing" in May and ended up passing the Legislature. In court fights over previous redistricting - which is the drawing of boundary lines for legislative and congressional districts every 10 years - courts have relied on [...]
For Immediate Release Sept. 20, 2019 AUSTIN - Two Texas news organizations have won the Spirit of FOI Award for reports exposing suspected corruption within the Calhoun Port Authority and the lack of access to information following the deaths of suspects in police custody. 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 the FOI Foundation’s state conference in Austin. The Victoria Advocate won in the Class [...]
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