Sen. Kirk Watson: Redistricting is difficult and needs sunshine
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 [...]
Victoria Advocate, KXAN win Spirit of FOI Awards for open government reporting
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 [...]
Capitol staffers Erickson, Aldredge to receive James Madison Award for transparency work
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 10, 2019 AUSTIN – Two legislative aides who worked relentlessly to strengthen the Texas Public Information Act are recipients of this year’s James Madison Award presented by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Kelsey Erickson, general counsel to Sen. Kirk Watson, and Katy Aldredge, capitol director for Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, will receive the honor for their efforts in passing legislation that makes important repairs and [...]
Taxpayer-funded TRS won’t say how much it’s spending on office space
By Bob SechlerAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published Sept. 6, 2019 When construction of what will be the tallest office tower in downtown Austin is finished in 2021, the taxpayer-funded state agency charged with overseeing retirement benefits for about 1.6 million Texas teachers and school employees will be among the first tenants moving in. But the cost to taxpayers for the high-profile office space isn’t publicly known, because the Teacher Retirement System of [...]
TEA investigative report of Houston ISD cites misconduct, including alleged Open Meetings Act violations
By Jacob CarpenterHouston ChronicleOriginally published Aug. 6, 2019 Texas Education Agency officials have recommended that a state-appointed governing team replace Houston ISD’s locally elected school board after a six-month investigation found several instances of alleged misconduct by some trustees, including violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act, inappropriate influencing of vendor contracts and making false statements to investigators. Read the full story here.
House State Affairs Chairman Dade Phelan to address FOI Foundation conference Sept. 20
Rep. Dade Phelan, leader of the Texas House State Affairs Committee, will be the keynote speaker at the FOI Foundation of Texas state conference Sept. 20. A prominent Texas journalist will interview Phelan during the conference luncheon. Panel discussions throughout the day will focus on open government outcomes in the 2019 Texas Legislature; public access to police records; and best practices for news reporters and others in seeking government information [...]
Documents withheld surrounding officer-involved shooting
By Marshall ReidDenton Record-ChronicleOriginally published July 14, 2019 Disclosure of certain law enforcement records rests in the hands of Attorney General Ken Paxton. In an attempt to learn more about a June 29 officer-involved shooting, the Denton Record-Chronicle filed a request for information under the Texas Public Information Act on July 2. The newspaper requested body camera video, the offense report, 911 call audio, dash camera video, audio of calls for service [...]
State Bar announces Texas Gavel Award winners for 2019
The State Bar of Texas Public Affairs Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the 2019 Texas Gavel Awards. The awards honor journalism that deepens public understanding of the legal system. Click here to see the list of winners. Gavel Award winners will be honored at the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas state conference luncheon on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019.
Registration is open for FOIFT State Conference Sept. 20
The FOI Foundation of Texas will hold its state conference on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, in Austin. Join FOI leaders and experts as we explore the latest developments in these areas and look to the future. The one-day conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency, 208 Barton Springs Blvd. Early bird tickets are $115 and will be available until Sept. 6. Tickets include all conference sessions and attendance at [...]
Gov. Abbott signs bills restoring government transparency
By Taylor GoldsteinHouston ChronicleOriginally published June 12, 2019 Gov. Greg Abbott has given his stamp of approval to a series of bills that will restore open government protections stripped away by recent Texas court decisions. The new laws will allow the public more access to records about government contracts and tamp down on secret meetings by elected officials. Senate Bill 943, which Abbott signed Monday, re-establishes in the law that information [...]
Legislative Update: 2019 session
AUSTIN – The Texas Legislature approved measures this session to repair holes in the state’s Public Information Act and shore up the Open Meetings Act in the wake of detrimental court rulings. The bipartisan initiatives won final approval in the days and hours before lawmakers adjourned Monday. They address openness in government contracting; the ability to access public records stored in private electronic accounts; and the ban on government officials [...]
Two major open government bills win final legislative passage, now head to governor
Two important open government measures won final approval Thursday in the Texas Senate, which concurred with House amendments on Senate Bill 943, the Public Information Act contracting transparency bill, and Senate Bill 1640, the update to the Open Meeting Act. Both pieces of legislation next head to Gov. Greg Abbott. These proposals were among the leading initiatives of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and [...]
Moody amends Texas Public Information Act bill to include important deceased suspects records measure
Speaker Pro Tem Joe Moody succeeded in amending an open government bill Tuesday with his measure to close a Texas Public Information Act loophole that has allowed police to withhold records from the public when a suspect died in custody. Moody prevailed in a vote to amend SB 944 by Sen. Kirk Watson and Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, which ultimately won preliminary House passage. Numerous families have come to the Texas [...]
Report reveals Sandra Bland recorded her own arrest in 2015 traffic stop
By Brian CollisterInvestigative NetworkWFAA StaffOriginal published May 6, 2019 New cellphone footage from the now infamous traffic stop of Sandra Bland shows her perspective when a Texas state trooper points a Taser and yells, “I will light you up!” Bland, 28, was found dead three days later in her Waller County jail cell near Houston. Her death was ruled a suicide. The new video -- released as part of a WFAA [...]
Companies using hole in Texas open records law to keep University of Texas athletics contracts secret
By Brian DavisAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published May 7, 2019 Because of a ruling by the Texas Supreme Court in 2015 allowing companies to keep government contract information hidden from the public, numerous University of Texas at Austin athletics contracts remain secret. Legislation by Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, attempts to plug that hole in the Texas Public Information Act. Read the full story here.
Submit your entries for 2019 Spirit of FOI Award
The FOI Foundation of Texas is pleased to announce 2019 guidelines for the Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award contest. The contest is open to newspaper, broadcast and online media. The Spirit of FOI Award recognizes outstanding work in promoting open government and the public’s right to know. The deadline for submission of entries is Friday, May 31, 2019. Nominations must be for work published or broadcast in calendar year [...]
Open government bills moving forward at Texas Capitol
UPDATED April 11, 2019 Several proposals to strengthen Texas' open government laws are moving ahead in the Texas Legislature. The Texas Public Information Act contracting transparency bill by Sen. Kirk Watson won final passage in the state Senate on Wednesday, April 10. It closes loopholes created by Texas Supreme Court rulings and is another step toward Texas taxpayers regaining their right to know how their money is spent. Earlier this [...]
Texas Tribune Analysis: Some of the secrets of Texas government aren’t supposed to be secrets
By Ross RamseyThe Texas TribuneOriginally published March 25, 2019 The Texas Legislature, full of people who believe in open government and who also like to settle things quietly and outside of public view, is diving into open-government legislation. Read the full analysis here.
No right to know? Texas public records get harder and harder to acquire
By Jeremy BlackmanHouston ChronicleOriginally published March 14, 2019 In Texas, records that might have once been public are increasingly difficult to obtain, according to an analysis of 10 years worth of attorney general's decisions by ABC13 in collaboration with the Houston Chronicle. The review found that the number of appeals from state and local agencies to withhold information has nearly doubled in the past decade. The Houston Chronicle took an in-depth look [...]
Sunshine Week: Free speech, public’s right to know under attack in Texas, so let’s act now
By Kelley Shannon Executive Director FOI Foundation of Texas We Texans are fiercely independent and like to make our views known. On that, surely, we can agree. Using our First Amendment right to speak out goes hand in hand with access to public information that helps us understand how our government functions. Unfortunately, both basic American principles – free speech and the people’s right to know – are under attack [...]