San Antonio ISD pays outside attorneys nearly a teacher’s salary to review information requests
By Daniela Ibarra KSAT Originally published Dec. 9, 2024 In a year full of financial challenges, KSAT Investigates found San Antonio Independent School District spent nearly a teacher’s salary’s worth on attorneys to review records requests made by news agencies. ... Between November 2023 and November 2024, records show the district had outside law firm Escamilla and Poneck review 19 requests made by media outlets, including KSAT. Invoices show the [...]
Formerly sealed Austin police records would cost $27K in public information request
By Brianna Hollis KXAN Originally published Nov. 11, 2024 AUSTIN — Once-confidential Austin police records have been publicly accessible via an official public information request for about two months now. These files are formerly known as “g-files,” and contain primarily unsubstantiated complaints against police officers that don’t result in discipline. They were unsealed after the the topic made its way through a city ballot and multiple court settings. KXAN requested [...]
U.S. Supreme Court orders new look at case of arrested Texas journalist
By The Associated Press Originally published Oct. 15, 2024 WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a federal appeals court to take a new look at the lawsuit filed by a Texas-based online citizen journalist who said she was wrongly arrested in a case that drew attention from national media organizations and free speech advocates. The justices tossed out the ruling of a divided federal appeals court that found [...]
Five transparency experts on why AG Paxton’s Open Meetings Act lawsuit against Travis County has merit
By Tony Plohetski Austin American-Statesman Originally published Oct. 9, 2024 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Travis County commissioners court, alleging that the five-member board violated the Texas Open Meetings Act when it secretly approved $115,000 in funding to help District Attorney Jose Garza secure his home. The allotment – which came to light when the American-Statesman began reporting on the issue in August – followed Garza privately [...]
2024 FOIFT state conference videos available for view
Videos of sessions and speeches at the FOI Foundation's 2024 state conference are now available on our website's video page. And here are the individual links with descriptions of the sessions: 2024 Conference Panel - First Amendment under fire https://youtu.be/M6zNeNf45zk 2024 Conference Panel - FOI and the 2025 Texas Legislature https://youtu.be/n0Y24ChgYx8 2024 James Madison Award honoree: The SMU Dedman School of Law First Amendment Clinic (Tom Leatherbury speaking) https://youtu.be/zlRErbJA7Bo 2024 [...]
The Texas Tribune, Fort Bend Herald win 2024 Spirit of FOI Awards
For Immediate Release Sept. 13, 2024 The Texas Tribune, Fort Bend Herald win 2024 Spirit of FOI Awards AUSTIN – News reporting on political interference with faculty in the Texas A&M University System and on city officials purchasing personal items using city money have won this year’s Spirit of FOI Awards. The Texas Tribune and the Fort Bend Herald received the awards at the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas [...]
Keep Texas information laws working as intended; learn more at Sept. 13 FOIFT conference
Register today for the Sept. 13 FOIFT conference. FOI Column: Keep information laws working as intended to help all Texans By Kelley Shannon When it’s time to take a hard look at our public officials and decide which ones to re-elect – or reject – we need information. A major source of that information is the government itself. Access to public records and meetings is essential for us to know [...]
Citing ‘blatant violation’ of open meetings law, judge pauses Austin charter amendment election
By Ella McCarthy Austin American-Statesman Originally published Aug. 29, 2024 The Austin City Council violated the Texas Open Meetings Act when it placed 13 city charter amendments on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, state District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled on Thursday. Guerra Gamble temporarily blocked the placement of those charter amendments on Austin ballots, but it remains to be seen whether voters will still see those propositions when [...]
SMU’s First Amendment Clinic to receive James Madison Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 20, 2024 SMU Dedman School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic to receive James Madison Award AUSTIN – The First Amendment Clinic at the SMU Dedman School of Law will receive the prestigious James Madison Award for its work protecting the constitutional rights of free speech and free press. The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas bestows the award for outstanding commitment to the principles of the [...]
Save Our Springs Alliance sues Austin over lack of meeting transparency charter changes
By Tara Brolley CBS Austin Originally published Aug. 19, 2024 AUSTIN, Texas — A lawsuit filed Monday in Travis County District Court challenges Austin's decision to place 13 proposed city charter amendments on the November 5 ballot. The Save Our Springs Alliance, its executive director Bill Bunch, and former Texas Attorney General's Office staff attorney Joe Riddell sued Mayor Kirk Watson and the City Council, alleging violations of the Texas [...]
Travis County quietly gave DA Jose Garza $115K for security, withheld spending details from public
By Tony Plohetski Austin American-Statesman Originally published Aug. 12, 2024 Travis County District Attorney José Garza met with county commissioners behind closed doors with an urgent request earlier this year. Worried about his safety after someone posted his residential address online, Garza asked for help to make himself and his home more secure, Commissioner Margaret Gómez told the American-Statesman. “He wanted something to be done to keep him safe,” Gómez recalled. [...]
City of Uvalde releases big batch of shooting records; families say other agencies should follow suit
By The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Originally published Aug. 10, 2024 Police video, audio, texts and emails released Saturday by Uvalde city officials offer new details about the Robb Elementary school shooting while also largely reaffirming reporting about law enforcement’s failure to engage a gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers. ... The Saturday release is the first major disclosure of documents by a government agency involved in the [...]
Texas Tribune’s conversation on Texans’ access to government
The Texas Tribune hosted a live-streamed program June 26 "Public Access to Government - a Closer Look at Texas and Transparency," featuring FOI Foundation executive director Kelley Shannon; attorney Laura Prather of Haynes and Boone and the FOIFT board; Rachel Clow of KRIS-TV in Corpus Christi; and Ruth Soucy of the State Comptroller's Office. Check out a recording of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_aE1GiU8bQ&list=PLJ0QpNyUHKi67JNrgbNwLzWGKGqRYBFKM
Registration open for FOI Foundation of Texas conference Sept. 13
The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas annual state conference is set for Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Austin. Make plans to register and attend! The conference brings together journalists, government leaders, attorneys and interested citizens to delve into the current issues of government transparency and free speech. We honor FOI heroes with the James Madison Award and outstanding journalism with the Spirit of FOI Award. This year’s conference will [...]
Open Government Seminar set for June 20 in College Station
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 31, 2024 FOI Foundation of Texas to hold Open Government Seminar on June 20 in College Station AUSTIN – The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas is holding an Open Government Seminar in College Station on Thursday, June 20, 2024, featuring training in state open meetings and public records laws. The seminar, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 1 p.m. [...]
Deadline is May 31 for Spirit of FOI Award entries
The 2024 Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award contest is open for entries, and the submission deadline is fast approaching. The award recognizes outstanding work in promoting open government and the public’s right to know. The contest is open to newspaper, broadcast and online media in Texas. The deadline for submissions is Friday, May 31, 2024. Nominations must be for work published or broadcast in calendar year 2023. A nomination [...]
Ralph Langer and Joel White scholarship recipients announced for 2024-25
For Immediate Release AUSTIN – Journalism student Christine Vo of the University of Texas at Arlington has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Ralph Langer Scholarship by the nonprofit Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Vo, an award-winning photojournalist and multimedia editor, has worked for The Shorthorn student newspaper at UT-Arlington, capturing the Texas Rangers’ World Series victory parade, Pride events, Palestine protests and other breaking news. Vo [...]
FOI Foundation denounces arrest of TV news photographer covering protest at UT-Austin
April 25, 2024 Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas statement on arrest of FOX 7 TV journalist at UT-Austin protest: The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas strongly denounces the arrest of a FOX 7 news photographer who was covering a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas at Austin. Law enforcement officers arrested the journalist and charged him with criminal trespass along with more than 50 protestors on campus [...]
Goodbye, scanner. Austin police, fire, EMS will no longer make radios available to the public
By Skye Seipp Austin American-Statesman Originally published April 18, 2024 Public safety agencies in Austin — police, fire and EMS — will soon go radio silent to the public once they transition to an encrypted radio system. This means that the current publicly available scanner information, wherein citizens can listen to police being dispatched to a call in real time, will no longer be accessible starting April 22. Read the [...]
KTRK: How open records law helps shine a light on government
By Keven Ozebek and Sarah Rafique KTRK, ABC 13 Originally published March 11, 2024 HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Whether it's investigating controversial decisions by local governments or digging into how those agencies spend taxpayer money, 13 Investigates relies on open records laws to get copies of internal documents, datasets and even emails and text messages between government officials all so we can hold our leaders accountable. ... Under the Texas [...]