Texas House considers bills to erode press protection, expose journalists, bloggers to more lawsuits
By J. David McSwane The Dallas Morning News Originally published April 12, 2017 AUSTIN — Plans to force journalists to reveal their sources and further expose media outlets to lawsuits made strange bedfellows Wednesday as leaders of journalism advocacy groups attacked two bills alongside members of a far-right fundraising and propaganda outfit. During a House committee hearing, two bills authored by Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, drew protests from prominent First Amendment attorneys who [...]
Call for entries: 2017 Spirit of FOI Awards
The FOI Foundation of Texas is pleased to announce 2017 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 Thursday, May 18, 2017. Nominations must be for work published or broadcast in calendar year [...]
Judge rules portion of Texas Open Meetings Act unconstitutional
By Jesse Mendoza Community Impact Newspaper Originally published April 4, 2017 Presiding Judge Randy Clapp of Wharton County’s 329th District Court ruled that a portion of the Texas Open Meetings Act is unconstitutional—thus dismissing the case against Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal and other officials. The case, which was heard in Montgomery County’s 221st District Court, brought to question whether Doyal, Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley, Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim [...]
Austin American-Statesman: Austin abandons transparency in search for new city manager
By Editorial Board Austin American-Statesman Originally published April 1, 2017 The Austin City Council should reverse its decision to conduct a secret search for the next city manager to lead Austin, one of the fastest-growing metropolises in the nation. A closed search would obstruct Austin residents from having a meaningful say in the selection of a manager charged with running most every aspect of city government, either directly or indirectly. [...]
Texas Senate approves major Public Information Act bills
The Texas Senate passed two major bills Tuesday that would restore public access to government records showing how taxpayer money is spent. Senate Bill 407 and Senate Bill 408 are both authored by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin. They won final Senate passage and now move on to the House of Representatives. Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, filed identical bills in the House in the bipartisan effort. Both bills would undo [...]
Montgomery County case tests strength of open meetings law
By Mike Snyder Houston Chronicle Originally published March 23, 2017 It must have seemed like such a simple solution. The chairman of Pasadena's tax-funded economic development agency wanted its board to hear a presentation from an engineering firm last November. But no public notice had been posted, as the Texas Open Meetings Act requires. So Roy Mease, the chairman of the Pasadena Second Century Corp., divided the board into two [...]
Texas must act now to repair damage to Public Information Act
By Kelley Shannon Executive Director Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas We Texans are fortunate when it comes to access to government information. Correction. We were fortunate. For more than 40 years, Texas’ open records law was one of the nation’s strongest. The Texas Public Information Act, originating during a time of scandal in the early 1970s, presumes all government records are available to citizens, unless there’s a specific exception [...]
Some Texas lawmakers want to close open records loophole
By Nicole Cobler San Antonio Express-News Originally published Feb. 28, 2017 Some state lawmakers are aiming to close an open records loophole in light of a 2015 Texas Supreme court ruling that allows governments to withhold records turned over to agencies by businesses. Lawmakers debated a slew of open records legislation in a Senate hearing Tuesday, including Sen. Kirk Watson’s bill that responds to the 2015 Boeing ruling by the [...]
Senate committee hears Boeing, Greater Houston Partnership repair bills
AUSTIN - Witnesses who support repairing the Texas Public Information Act and boosting citizens' access to records showing how taxpayer money is spent urged a state Senate committee Tuesday to rework parts of the act. Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, in a hearing before the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, presented legislation that would strengthen the Public Information Act. Senate Bill 407 and Senate Bill 408, respectively, would undo two Texas [...]
Open Government Champions: Former teacher, Austin activist effectively uses Texas Public Information Act
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is one in an occasional series of opinion pieces on legislators and other Texans who are openly committed to sustaining government transparency and accountability. The articles are being prepared and distributed by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and the Texas Press Association. By Dave Montgomery As an elementary school teacher more than a decade ago, Zenobia Joseph often found herself wondering why students entered her [...]
Senators vow to fight confidential agreements they had to sign before viewing vote complaints
By Nicole Cobler San Antonio Express-News Originally published Feb. 9, 2017 AUSTIN — Two Texas senators are promising to fight confidential agreements they signed before being allowed to view voter fraud complaints reported to the secretary of state’s office. Their plan to make the information public follows newly nominated Secretary of State Rolando Pablos’ declaration in a Senate committee hearing last week that “there is voter fraud in Texas, and [...]
Texas Supreme Court ruling expands government exception for attorney-client privilege
By Chuck Lindell Austin American Statesman Originally published Feb. 3, 2017 In another decision that has alarmed open government advocates, the Texas Supreme Court on Friday carved out a special exception for public access to government information involving communication with lawyers. The 7-2 ruling said protecting attorney-client privilege is too important to force governments to disclose such information, even if the Texas Public Information Act’s requirements aren’t followed. Attorney-client privilege [...]
Texas clerks look to derail web-based public access to court records
By Ryan Autullo Austin American-Statesman Originally published Jan. 30, 2017 Texas court clerks are resisting a state proposal they say would strip them of their constitutional authority by making court documents available online for easy public access. The statewide database, re:SearchTX, holds records from all 254 counties and is backed by the state’s Supreme Court. It currently is used by judges and soon will be available to attorneys and the public [...]
Texas Supreme Court denies Wallace Hall’s bid for UT records
By Chuck Lindell Austin American Statesman Originally published Jan. 27, 2017 University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall Jr. is not entitled to confidential records of an investigation into UT admissions, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday. The unanimous court ruled that Chancellor Bill McRaven did not exceed his authority in denying the records to Hall over concerns that access to private student information would violate the federal Family Educational [...]
Watson, Capriglione: Close loopholes in the state Public Information Act
By Kirk Watson and Giovanni Capriglione Published by the Houston Chronicle Jan. 26, 2017 After the Sharpstown fraud and bribery scandal rocked the Texas Capitol in the early 1970s, Texans opted to "throw the rascals out" and elect a reform-minded Legislature to clean up the mess. A cornerstone of the 63rd Legislature's reform agenda was the Public Information Act of 1973, which empowered the people to see what their government [...]
State water conference raises open meetings questions
By Jo Clifton Austin Monitor Originally published Jan. 24, 2017 An attorney for the nonprofit League of Independent Voters of Texas warned the Texas Water Development Board on Sunday that the agency was in jeopardy of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act. However, by the end of the day Monday, it appeared that the agency and the nonprofit had reached an accommodation. The board is sponsoring a conference about water [...]
‘Textbook case’ of evading open meetings law in El Paso
By Elida S. Perez El Paso Times Originally published Jan. 19, 2017 Text messages between Mayor Oscar Leeser and city Rep. Jim Tolbert clearly show that City Council members violated state law when they cycled in and out of a closed-door meeting to discuss alternative sites for a planned $180 million Downtown arena, a Texas open government expert said. Tolbert texted Leeser on the same day that the mayor and [...]
UT Regent Hall’s attorney faces tough questions over records in Texas Supreme Court hearing
By Matthew Watkins The Texas Tribune Originally published Jan. 11, 2017 A lawyer for University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall faced tough questioning Wednesday from state Supreme Court justices over whether he should be allowed to see confidential student admissions records that the UT System chancellor has denied him. Four of the nine justices in particular drilled down into Hall's argument that he needs the information to fulfill his [...]
State Bar seeks entries for 2017 Texas Gavel Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 9, 2017 Contact Amy Starnes, State Bar of Texas (800) 204-2222, ext. 1706, or (512) 427-1706 [email protected] AUSTIN — Submissions are sought for the 2017 Texas Gavel Awards, which honor outstanding journalism that fosters public understanding of the legal system. Entries published or broadcast during the 2016 calendar year will be accepted for print, broadcast, and online categories until 5 p.m. April 3. There is no [...]
Texas news organizations cover legislative efforts to strengthen Public Information Act
On Tuesday, Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, filed legislation to strengthen the Texas Public Information Act and repair damage done by to the law two 2015 Texas Supreme Court rulings. News organizations around the state have written news stories and editorials on the legislative efforts. Here are some of the reports: The Dallas Morning News Fort Worth Star-Telegram Austin American-Statesman McAllen Monitor Spectrum News, Austin KXAN-TV, [...]