Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas praises open government advances
AUSTIN _ Texans will gain greater access to the records and actions of their public officials under several measures supported by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas (FOIFT) and approved in the 83rd Legislature. FOIFT board members from across the state testified in favor of these leading open government proposals and First Amendment protections that won House and Senate passage, and now head to Gov. Rick Perry. “This is [...]
Isle to discuss legal options against newspaper after report
By JOHN WAYNE FERGUSON Originally published by the Galveston County Daily News on May 24, 2013 GALVESTON — The city council Thursday voted to hold a special meeting next week to discuss their legal options against The Daily News after an article unveiling the city’s plans for potential legal action over future public housing on the island. The article was based on a legal opinion written by Dallas attorney Terry [...]
Critics Say Bill Does Little To Make Judges More Accountable
By Shelley Kofler Originally published by KERA on May 21, 2013 The Texas Senate and House have passed legislation that’s supposed to rein in judges who are abusing or misusing their authority. It’s a problem KERA looked at last year in a special series, Texas Judges: Out of Order. On the House floor last Friday it took less than five minutes to pass Senate Bill 209, legislation designed to make [...]
The 2013 Bernard and Audre Rapoport State Conference is set for August 9th
The 2013 Bernard and Audre Rapoport State Conference is set for Friday, Aug. 9, at the Sheraton Austin – Capitol located at 701 E. 11th St. Conference in downtown Austin. For more information on registration, contact the FOIFT office at 512.377.1575 or email us at [email protected]. If you’d like to come in early, on Thursday, Aug. 8, you can book a room now at the low rate of $159. If [...]
Questions of Contradiction in Ethics Bills
By Emily Ramshaw and Aman Batheja Originally published May 16, 2013 This is one in a series of occasional stories about ethics and transparency in the part-time Texas Legislature. All session long, freshman state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione has been clamoring for greater transparency, trying to force lawmakers and their relatives to disclose their contracts with government agencies and shine a light on closely held state pension benefits. When his first [...]
Disclosure Bills Get Little Love From Top Leaders
By Emily Ramshaw, Texas Tribune Originally published May 1, 2013 This is one in a series of occasional stories about ethics and transparency in the part-time Texas Legislature. Six months before the Texas Legislature kicked into gear, Gov. Rick Perry told reporters that candidates for public office should be as “transparent” as they can possibly be with their personal financial interests. It has remained the term du jour for state [...]
FOIFT names new Executive Director
AUSTIN — Kelley Shannon, a longtime Texas journalist, has been named executive director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Dale Leach, president of the foundation board of directors, said Shannon would begin her new duties Wednesday. She replaces Keith Elkins, who resigned in January to accept a position with an Austin television station. Shannon’s journalism career includes more than 20 years as a correspondent with The Associated Press, [...]
Court says states can restrict access to public records
By Richard Wolf, USA Today Originally posted, 4.29.13 WASHINGTON — States may have little reason to restrict public records access to their own residents, but the practice is not unconstitutional, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. The unanimous decision, allowing Virginia to favor its residents under its Freedom of Information Act, goes against media organizations and professional data miners that had sided with the law’s out-of-state challengers. During oral arguments in [...]
Court Must Now Decide If T. Boone Pickens’ Case Threatens Son’s First Amendment Rights
By Caleb Melby, Forbes Staff Originally posted 4.29.13 Earlier this month, I wrote about the vicious court battle taking place in Dallas between billionaire corporate raider T. Boone Pickens and his son Michael, who, through his blog, alleges that his oil billionaire father emotionally abused him, which he claims led him to become a drug user. Boone alleges that Michael is a cyberbully and has sued him for defamation, libel, [...]
Texas Legislature: Bills put transparency at risk; Supporters: Restricting FOI ensures justice
By Matthew Waller Originally posted 4.27.13 AUSTIN — House Rep. Phil Stephenson said he wants innocence until a person is proven guilty, and to that end, some information might be better kept away from the public. His bill, HB 1331, would specifically make confidential certain investigations and complaints received by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which would close off to the general public access to complaints lodged against [...]
2013 Bernard and Audre Rapoport State Conference – Book Your Room Now!
The 2013 Bernard and Audre Rapoport State Conference is set for Friday, Aug. 9, at the Sheraton Austin – Capitol located at 701 E. 11th St. Conference in downtown Austin. Registration will open soon; meanwhile, if you’d like to come in early, on Thursday, Aug. 8, you can book a room now at the low rate of $159. If you’d like to stay the weekend – Friday, Aug. 9 and/or Saturday, Aug. 10 — the same rate will [...]
HB 1331: Trouble Shooter testifies on open government bill
From News 4 San Antonio SAN ANTONIO – Here at News 4 San Antonio we believe you have the right to know what your government is up to, and how it spends your tax dollars. Legislation being considered up in Austin would block you from seeing the activity of a very important state agency. News 4 Trouble Shooter Jaie Avila was asked to testify on the bill and explains what [...]
Critical Thinking: Why Should Governments Continue to Post Public Notices in Newspapers?
by: Nu Yang Editor & Publisher Originally published April 16, 2013 Q: What would be your strongest argument for why governments should continue to post public notices in newspapers? Alison Noon, 20, Junior, University of Colorado, Boulder Noon is studying journalism and political science. She is an editor and reporter at CU Independent, CU’s only student news outlet. She is an intern reporter at The Greeley Tribune in northern Colorado, [...]
Legislative Update: 2013 session
A significant open government bill approved in the 2013 legislative session expands the definition of public information in the Texas Public Information Act to include electronic communications created by, received by, or maintained by a public officer or employee connected to official business and stored on any device. Lawmakers also approved several other government transparency bills. Legislative Update: 2013 Session, Laura Prather, Thomas Williams, [...]
New laws protecting Texas newsrooms passed from 2009 to 2013
Over the three legislative sessions from 2009 to 2013, newsrooms have gained significantly greater protections under Texas law. Texas became the 37th state to enact a reporter's privilege law in 2009. In 2011, the Legislature joined 27 other states in adopting an anti-SLAPP statute providing for dismissal of meritless lawsuits brought against those exercising their free speech rights. In 2013, Texas became the 32nd state to enact a retraction statute enabling [...]
LAST CALL for entries for Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award Nominations!
Submit your 2013 Spirit of FOI Award nominations Monday, April 8, is the deadline for electronic submission of entries for the 2013 Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award, which this year for the first time will recognize work in three divisions. Sponsored by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and the Texas Press Association and named after FOIFT’s former executive director, the award recognizes journalists and/or newspapers for outstanding [...]
Court Declines to Hear Texas Open Meetings Appeal
Originally published March 25, 2013 AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal challenging the Texas Open Meetings Act, keeping intact the law that bans government officials from talking business in informal settings. Officials from 15 cities in Texas challenged the law in 2009, saying they supported open government but that the law banned such behavior as simply talking to a colleague about [...]
Call for Entries | 2013 Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award
Submit your 2013 Spirit of FOI Award nominations Monday, April 8, is the deadline for electronic submission of entries for the 2013 Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award, which this year for the first time will recognize work in three divisions. Sponsored by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and the Texas Press Association and named after FOIFT’s former executive director, the award recognizes journalists and/or newspapers for outstanding [...]
Restrict employers’ social media access
Express-News Editorial Board Updated Wednesday, February 13, 2013 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other networking websites are great social media tools that allow us to keep up with friends, family and colleagues. They also have created a gray area in employment law that needs some clarification. At least four different bills have been filed in Austin this legislative session seeking to maintain employee privacy when it comes to their social media [...]
Information blackout on Texas public pensions must end
Fort Worth Star-Telegram Originally posted Feb. 13, 2013 By now, it should be clear to every member of the Legislature, even the new ones, that HB2460 should not have been approved two years ago. The bill, written by then-Rep. Vicki Truitt of Keller, dropped a curtain of secrecy around information about public retirement funds in Texas. Pretty much, it said the people who run those funds, not the attorney general [...]