Alpine residents decry limiting speech at city meetings
By Alberto Tomas Halpern Big Bend Sentinel Originally published Aug. 7, 2014 ALPINE – Alpine residents exercising their First Amendment rights of free speech at Tuesday’s regular city meeting were unanimous in their dissent of a proposed ordinance that would have, among other things, strictly limited public comments at city meetings. The draft ordinance, as currently written, and whose first reading was approved by council on July 15, would have [...]
Watchdog column: Is DART stalling on records request?
By Dave Lieber The Dallas Morning News Originally published Aug. 7, 2014 Let’s pretend today that I run my own court. Watchdog Nation’s Court of Open Government. We pretend to prosecute governments who we think violate the spirit of the Texas Public Information Act. (Hey, somebody has to, because in real life it almost never happens.) You play judge. Today I unseal a four-count pretend indictment for obstruction of release [...]
Appeals court panels rules El Paso did all it could to retrieve officials’ emails
By Marty Schladen El Paso Times Originally published Aug. 4, 2014 A panel of appellate judges sitting in Austin has thrown out a lawsuit claiming that the city of El Paso has refused to release public records related to the controversial ballpark project. The activist bringing the suit, El Paso lawyer Stephanie Townsend Allala, now is deciding whether to appeal the ruling to the entire Third Court of Appeals, her [...]
Lawsuit secrets related to West explosion keep public in the dark
By Sue Ambrose The Dallas Morning News Originally published July 26, 2014 Secrets wrapped up in lawsuits over the 2013 explosion of the fertilizer plant in West could keep valuable health and safety information hidden from the public forever. Because a judge has approved confidentiality agreements requested by attorneys, even people who live in West may never find out much more about what happened. The agreements allow both sides to [...]
FOIFT annual conference welcomes variety of speakers, open government advocates
The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas hosts its 2014 annual state conference "A Road Map to Open Government" on Friday, Sept. 12, at the Hilton Austin hotel. Panel discussions throughout the day will focus on the public's access to courts; social media in open government; and new twists in the Texas Public Information Act. Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, an outspoken advocate for constitutional rights including free speech, will be [...]
A conundrum for Texas Capitol gatekeepers: What makes a reporter a reporter?
By Ross Ramsey The Texas Tribune Originally published July 28, 2014 Texas lawmakers are going to have to figure out what a reporter is. You have no reason to care about this, unless you want to keep up with what is being done in your name at the Texas Capitol, and you think having reporters on the floor of the House and Senate increases your chances of finding out. On [...]
Sunlight Foundation study on accessibility of governors’ executive orders gives Texas an A
The Sunlight Foundation compiled data from all 50 states on the accessibility of governors' executive orders and found that Texas ranked among the top states when it comes to public availability. The rankings are based on whether executive orders are uploaded online in a timely fashion, whether the text of the orders can be easily searched and how long the orders are available online. Along with Texas, leading states in [...]
Texas Gavel Award winners announced; recipients to be honored at Sept. 12 FOIFT conference
The State Bar of Texas has announced the winners of the 2014 Texas Gavel Awards honoring journalism that deepens the public's understanding of the legal system. The recipients will receive their awards at a Sept. 12 luncheon as part of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas annual conference at the Hilton Austin. For information on registering for the luncheon and conference, click here. The full State Bar press release, [...]
Change in sheriff’s public information policy poses access problems
By Karen Antonacci The Monitor Originally published July 20, 2014 When the story of an appeals court judge arrested July 12 after failing a sobriety test broke later that afternoon, local media ran with the only photo they had of her — a coiffed glamour shot that graced her 2012 campaign signs. Nora Lydia Longoria, who was elected in 2012 to the 13th Court of Appeals, where she serves a [...]
Abbott stands by transparency record some say is mixed
By Terri Langford The Texas Tribune Originally published July 17, 2014 Ask Texas Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Greg Abbott about his record on providing the public greater access to government records and he will tell you it is one worth bragging about. He has aggressively pursued open records training for state and elected officials, and been honored for his work keeping Texas government transparent. “There really is no attorney general who’s [...]
Editorial: Texas AG off-base in decision not to release chemical locations
Fort Worth Star-Telegram Originally published July 7, 2014 Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s comments about disclosure of where dangerous chemicals are stored in the state proved to be almost as explosive as a bin of ammonium nitrate. Abbott, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, has been criticized after his office ruled the Texas Department of State Health Services did not have to release the names and locations of the storage facilities, something [...]
Editorial: Abbott’s policy on public access to chemical information illogical
Austin American-Statesman Originally published July 6, 2014 When it comes to defending Texans’ right to know what their government is doing, state Attorney General Greg Abbott has been not just a watchdog, but a biting dog. During his political career, Abbott has demonstrated a commitment to government transparency second to no other current statewide elected official. In 2005, he was awarded the James Madison Award by the Freedom of Information [...]
Attorney held in contempt after challenging judge’s limit on public access to court
By Adriana M. Chavez El Paso Times Originally published July 2, 2014 A prominent El Paso lawyer was found in contempt of court and sentenced to 30 days in jail last year after challenging a Jury Duty Court judge's efforts to limit public access to the courtroom. Stuart Schwartz, a shareholder at the ScottHulse law firm who also is a former county commissioner, served a night in jail before being [...]
Editorial: Kilgore College transparency threatened by records tactic
By Longview News-Journal Originally published July 2, 2014 Kilgore College’s practice of sending every open records request to its attorney for review is almost breathtaking — and not in a good way. In an era that’s seen almost every taxpayer-funded entity in the nation looking for ways to reduce spending, this is a conscious — and utterly unnecessary — decision to spend more. The attorney who benefits from billing, at [...]
Abbott: Ask chemical plants what’s inside
By Jay Root The Texas Tribune Originally published July 1, 2014 Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott, under fire for blocking public access to state records documenting the location of dangerous chemicals, said Texans still have a right to find out where the substances are stored — as long as they know which companies to ask. “You know where they are if you drive around,” Abbott told reporters Tuesday. “You can ask [...]
In whistleblower lawsuit, ex-Donna city manager claims council members cut bills for friends
By Elizabeth Findell The Monitor Originally published July 1, 2014 Donna city leaders ordered their ex-city manager to waive city fees for friends and fired him after he notified authorities, according to claims in a lawsuit brought under the Texas Whistleblower Act this month. City Council members fired City Manager Oscar Ramirez March 31, giving no specific reasons for the dismissal. On June 12, he sued the five council members [...]
Appeals court hears arguments on closure of juvenile hearings
By Deanna Boyd Fort Worth Star-Telegram Originally published June 25, 2014 FORT WORTH — Arguing that it was not only within the court’s power, but also its obligation, attorneys for the state and local media outlets asked the Court of Appeals Wednesday to help prevent the arbitrary closure of juvenile proceedings. Wednesday’s hearing before Fort Worth’s Second District Court of Appeals stemmed from a petition filed by the Star-Telegram and [...]
Congress may move forward on FOIA reform
Congress may take action this year to strengthen the federal Freedom of Information Act, according to a new posting Tuesday by the National Security Archive at George Washington University. The archive posted a bipartisan bill by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, called the FOIA Improvement Act of 2014. A separate FOIA update bill has already passed the U.S. House. For more details go to the [...]
Attorney general appeals $1.2 million whistleblower verdict
By Edgar Walters The Texas Tribune Originally published June 24, 2014 The office of Attorney General Greg Abbott— the Republican gubernatorial candidate — is appealing a whistleblower's lawsuit and $1.2 million verdict, arguing that an El Paso jury was wrong when it decided that the agency fired an employee in retaliation for alerting supervisors to internal wrongdoing. The jury awarded damages last year to Laura Rodriguez, a veteran employee of the [...]
Editorial: In Longview ISD secret process, board must get its job done
By Longview News-Journal Originally published June 22, 2014 So let’s get this straight: Longview ISD School Board President Troy Simmons says the ongoing string of closed-door meetings about lone superintendent finalist Horace Williams is not because of difficulty agreeing on a contract or because the board is reconsidering whether Williams is appropriate for the job. We wonder what trustees could be talking about — the color of carpet for Williams’ [...]