Travis commissioner accused of deleting requested texts, emails
By Farzad Mashhood and Ben Wear Austin American-Statesman Originally published March 17, 2014 An environmental group filed a criminal complaint Monday alleging Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty unlawfully deleted text messages and emails that concerned county business, including some communications about the controversial Texas 45 Southwest tollway project. The Save Our Springs Alliance asked Travis County Attorney David Escamilla to investigate the matter as a possible violation of open records [...]
Sunshine Week: FOIA a powerful tool for journalists
By Jason Leopold Investigative Reporter Originally published March 7, 2014, on sunshineweek.org A few years ago, I met a longtime source at a local coffee shop in Los Angeles. He said he needed to break some news to me. I thought it was going to be something juicy. Perhaps he was ready to share some inside information about drones or surveillance or Guantanamo, topics that I report on. Nope. My [...]
Sunshine Week: Denton Record-Chronicle evaluates officeholders’ financial disclosures
By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe Denton Record-Chronicle Originally published March 15, 2014 Personal financial statements can offer clues to the financial interests of local officials and improve government transparency — that is, if more residents had a clue about how to find them. The little-known and rarely accessed statements contain potentially valuable disclosures from select public officials about their own property holdings, stocks and bonds, outside business interests or employment, even gifts [...]
Report, Texas lawmakers call on Obama for transparency
By Daniel Lathrop The Dallas Morning News Originally published March 11, 2014 Following a nonpartisan study, Texas lawmakers from both political parties are calling on the Obama administration to provide the public with better access to information collected by the federal government. A report Monday by the liberal Center for Effective Government found that only four of the 15 federal agencies that receive the most requests for public information deserved [...]
FOIFT announces call for entries for 2014 Spirit of FOI Award
AUSTIN – The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas is now accepting entries for the 2014 Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award recognizing outstanding journalism efforts upholding First Amendment principles and open government. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, April 15. Nominations published in calendar year 2013 can be a single news story or series, an editorial or series of editorials, columns, editorial cartoons or a community FOI project. [...]
Weslaco commissioners plead not guilty to Open Meetings Act charges
By Elizabeth Findell The Monitor Originally published March 6, 2014 EDINBURG — Weslaco city commissioners argued Thursday that they did not violate theTexas Open Meetings Act during a controversial November meeting. Mayor Pro Tem John Cuellar, commissioners David Fox, Lupe Rivera and Jerry Tafolla and former Commissioner Joe Martinez appeared before 139thstate District Judge Bobby Flores Thursday. All entered pleas of “not guilty.” A grand jury last week indicted the five commissioners and they [...]
FOIFT honors Robert and Maureen Decherd with John Henry Faulk Award for Civic Virtue
AUSTIN - Robert and Maureen Decherd have been selected as recipients of the John Henry Faulk Award for Civic Virtue in honor of their dedication to community service, open government and the First Amendment. The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas bestows the award on outstanding Texans who represent the best traditions of civic involvement and enlightened philanthropy. The award is named for author, humorist and broadcaster John Henry [...]
Snowden to speak at South by Southwest via video
By Richard Whittaker The Austin Chronicle Originally published March 4, 2014 Hero to some, villain to others: SXSW Interactive has just announced that Edward Snowden will be part of a videoconferenced conversation with the American Civil Liberties Union's chief technologist, Christopher Soghoian. In what is sure to be one of the most heavily anticipated and controversial discussions, Snowden will talk about his views on surveillance culture, the NSA, and what [...]
Victoria Advocate editor on FOIFT and the public’s right to know
By Chris Cobler Editor The Victoria Advocate Originally published March 3, 2014 The Calhoun County Republican Club invited me to speak Monday about an organization near and dear to my heart, the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Many thanks to them for being such a welcoming and engaged audience. Here is a copy of my prepared remarks: I am honored to speak on behalf of the Freedom of Information [...]
Indictments filed against Weslaco commissioners over alleged open meetings violation
By Elizabeth Findell The Monitor Published Feb. 25-26, 2014 Update on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014 11:52 am: Documents unsealed this morning have confirmed indictments against several Weslaco commissioners. Lupe Rivera, John Cuellar, David Fox, Joe Martinez and Jerry Tafolla are accused of defying the Texas Open Meetings Act after having kicked the public out of a meeting. A judge set personal recognizance bonds at $2,500. --- Published Feb. 25, 2014, [...]
Dallas council members grill city attorney on transparency, open records
By Scott Goldstein The Dallas Morning News Originally published Feb. 20, 2014 No one can say Dallas City Attorney Warren Ernst doesn’t know what it’s like to be treated like a hostile witness. That’s what it must have felt like for him as his bosses on the City Council questioned him about a variety of issues on Wednesday. Ernst was there to brief council members about his office’s goals and objectives [...]
FW Star-Telegram editor: DFW media teams up for right to know
By Jim Witt Fort Worth Star-Telegram Originally published Feb. 18, 2014 In recent weeks, newspapers in Fort Worth and Dallas and the region’s four TV stations affiliated with the major broadcast networks did something they’ve never done before, at least since I became editor of the Star-Telegram in 1996. We worked together to help protect open records and open hearings in the Texas judicial system. On their own, each of the major [...]
Sunshine Week coming March 16-22
Sunshine Week, an annual initiative focusing on the importance of open government, is coming up March 16-22. It's co-sponsored by the American Society of News Editors and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Watch our Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas website that week for special "sunshine" posts from the Lone Star State and check out the main Sunshine Week website at www.sunshine.org for more information and resource [...]
Questions raised about whether Collin commissioners’ meeting with Cruz violated law
By Wendy Hundley The Dallas Morning News Originally published Feb. 14, 2014 Questions have been raised about whether a recent meeting involving a quorum of Collin County commissioners violated the Texas Open Meetings Act. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz met with a number of local elected officials on Feb. 7 at the Commissioners Court in McKinney. There was no public notice of the meeting, where water, transportation, economic development and other [...]
FW Star-Telegram: Speech must still be free on the Internet
By Mike Norman Fort Worth Star-Telegram Originally published Feb. 14, 2014 The Internet has given us an explosion of information, commentary, communication and just plain word flow the likes of which have never been seen before. You’d think our democracy could handle it — and for the most part, it has. Words on the Internet are not without restriction. Threats, bullying, reckless lies and fraud are just as wrong in [...]
FOI Foundation to host annual conference Sept. 12
The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas will host its daylong state conference on Friday, Sept. 12, in Austin at the Hilton Austin. Last year's Bernard and Audre Rapoport State Conference was widely attended by journalists, government employees, attorneys and others interested in open government and First Amendment issues. So mark your calendars to participate in 2014. Registration information and announcements of speakers will be posted on the FOIFT website [...]
Records show attorney bill in UT regent investigation tops $400K so far
By David Barer The Dallas Morning News Originally published Feb. 11, 2014 Attorneys assisting the University of Texas System and a Legislative committee investigating embattled regent Wallace Hall billed the state upwards of $400,000 for 2013 work, pay stubs indicate. The legal costs are a portion of the toll of the ongoing debacle, which critics say has sullied UT’s reputation and spurred the resignation of top leaders. Hall is under [...]
Weslaco leaders subpoenaed to appear before grand jury in closed meeting case
By Elizabeth Findell The Monitor Originally published Feb. 7, 2014 WESLACO — Five current and former city commissioners will go before an Hidalgo County grand jury Tuesday to make the case why they shouldn’t be indicted for kicking the public out of a public meeting. City leaders drew a crowd when they called the special meeting in November, after the election but before new members had been sworn in. Mayor [...]
UT board approves new policy for regents’ information requests
By Ralph K.M. Haurwitz Austin American-Statesman Originally published Feb. 6, 2014 The University of Texas System’s governing board adopted tighter procedures Thursday for its members’ information requests, while also granting the members wide latitude to obtain records and data. The action was a response to complaints about Regent Wallace Hall Jr.’s demands for massive amounts of records from UT-Austin. Campus officials say they have turned over about 800,000 pages, though [...]
UT System responds to transparency committee directives
By Reeve Hamilton The Texas Tribune Originally published Feb. 3, 2014 As the legislative committee investigating University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall of Dallas considers whether to impeach him, the UT system met a Feb. 1 deadline to address certain directives set by the committee. The co-chairs of the House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations sent UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa a letter in mid-December detailing information they wanted the [...]