Sunshine Week 2021 Features Online Forum
The Texas Public Policy Foundation hosted this online event on March 18, 2021, during Sunshine Week 2021. Click here to watch "Sunshine Week 2021: Regaining Trust in Texas Government." The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas was pleased to participate, along with other transparency advocates.
Sunshine Week: Public’s right to know should be front and center, especially now, in Texas
By Kelley Shannon With state lawmakers immersed in the COVID-19 pandemic response and Texas’ electricity failures, the public’s access to information must be at the forefront of the Legislature’s actions. Information allows citizens to watch over their government, to speak out and to ask questions. There’s no better time than Sunshine Week, starting March 14, to emphasize the importance of the people’s right to know. The Freedom of Information Foundation [...]
Sen. Zaffirini files package of open government bills
Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, has filed seven bills to improve the Texas Public Information Act and Texas Open Meetings Act. Senate Bills 924 to 930 filed Tuesday address such issues as deadlines for governmental entities to respond to public records requests and citizen access protections for video or telephone virtual public meetings. All of the measures were also combined in an omnibus bill, SB 923. “Transparency is essential to preserving [...]
Speaker Pro Tem Joe Moody, expert panel address Texas law enforcement transparency in webinar
Texas House Speaker Pro Tem Joe Moody, Josh Hinkle of KXAN-TV, Eva Ruth Moravec of the Texas Justice Initiative and Kathy Mitchell of Just Liberty discussed the latest in police transparency laws during a one-hour webinar on Feb. 24. Hinkle, leader of KXAN's investigative team, moderated the panel discussion, which was free and open to the public. The FOI Foundation of Texas and ACLU of Texas co-hosted the event. Watch [...]
In pandemic era, Texans’ access to public information at risk
By Kelley Shannon Bold steps nearly 50 years ago created a landmark protection for the people’s right to know in Texas. Lawmakers approved the state’s open records law, now known as the Texas Public Information Act. Born out of a political financial scandal, the act’s aim was to allow citizens to hold public officials accountable. For the most part, this Texas transparency law has served us well. It’s essential in [...]
Legislation clarifies “business days” when responding to Texas Public Information Act requests
Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, has filed an open government bill designed to clarify "business days" for governmental entities responding to requests made under the Texas Public Information Act. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, some governments have refused to respond to TPIA requests if their physical offices were closed, even if the staff was working remotely. Many of those governments, citing guidance from the Texas attorney general's office, said such a day [...]
Government financial transparency briefing with Rep. Giovanni Capriglione set for Feb. 9
Join open government advocates for a financial transparency online briefing with state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione at 9 a.m. on Feb. 9, 2021. The Texas Association of Broadcasters is hosting this free event. More information and registration is at https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Join-Us-for-an-Open-Government-Flash-Briefing.html?soid=1102410017667&aid=Jne3dQSWDYM
Austin cites new state law to keep secret pandemic relief non-profits
By Ryan AutulloAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published Jan. 8, 2021 More than $6 million in taxpayer money flowed to Austin nonprofits affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but taxpayers might never learn the identities of the organizations that got the money or get a chance to dig into their stated need for assistance. The city of Austin is citing a little-noticed provision in a new Texas law to keep secret the identities of non-profits receiving [...]
Newspaper highlights its best uses of Texas Public Information Act in 2020
By Marshall ReidDenton Record-ChronicleOriginally published Dec. 29, 2020 Each year, Denton Record-Chronicle reporters send dozens of requests for public information, a quasi-formal process to obtain hard-to-obtain information from government agencies. Requests range from routine contract requests to more complicated asks that often get bumped to the Texas Attorney General’s Office for guidance. Read the full story here about some of the best uses of the Texas Public Information Act by the Record-Chronicle in 2020.
FOIFT challenges roadblocks to public information
News 4 San Antonio/WOAI broadcast this piece by reporter April Molina on Nov. 29 explaining barriers to public information that citizens are encountering during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/foift-challenges-roadblocks-to-public-information
After shutting down workouts, UH avoids serious COVID-19 outbreaks, public records show
By Joseph DuarteHouston ChronicleOriginally published Nov. 12, 2020 The University of Houston athletic department has avoided any serious outbreaks of the novel coronavirus since temporarily halting voluntary summer workouts in June, test results provided to the Houston Chronicle show. During a nearly three-month span from July 30 to Oct. 22, the athletic department reported 26 positive cases out of 5,453 tests administered — a positivity rate of .005 percent — [...]
Journalist Karen Blumenthal receives James Madison Award for open records activism
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov. 10, 2020 AUSTIN – The late journalist and author Karen Blumenthal, an ardent advocate for the people’s right to know who ensured public access to historic Texas records in the Roe v. Wade case, has been honored with the James Madison Award. The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas bestows the award on those who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the principles of the First Amendment and [...]
FOI Foundation of Texas 2020 Awards Show
To watch a replay of today's FOI Foundation awards and highlights online show, tune in here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAulK5ATfs8&feature=youtu.be
The Highlander and The Dallas Morning News win 2020 Spirit of FOI Awards
October 28, 2020FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUSTIN – Two Texas news organizations have won Spirit of FOI Awards for reporting on a city’s potential free speech and open meetings violations and for waging a legal battle to obtain public records in a fatal police encounter. The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award, presented by the non-profit Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, highlights journalism that upholds the First Amendment rights of [...]
When ‘Live PD’ cameras rolled, Williamson County deputies used more violence
By Julie Chang and Tony PlohetskiAustin American-StatesmanOriginally published Oct. 23, 2020 The kind of violence Imani Nembhard experienced in April 2019 became increasingly common in Williamson County after Sheriff Robert Chody invited the camera crews of “Live PD” to feature his department. An American-Statesman analysis of 124 use-of-force reports shows that violent encounters between Williamson County sheriff’s deputies and civilians nearly doubled from 43 in 2017 — the year before [...]
FOI Column: Even during a pandemic, government must be open with easy access
By Kelley Shannon Reopening public places amid the COVID-19 pandemic should certainly be carried out with caution. Government offices are no exception. Yet citizens must have the ability to watch over their government, even during an emergency. Especially during an emergency. It’s long past time to reopen public access to government records and meetings that have been shut off for months. This can happen even if government employees continue to [...]
Legal standards for release of police body camera video
Editors Note: The Texas body camera statute is contained in the Texas Occupations Code. Section 1701.661 governs public release of body cam footage.) -- By Paul Watler Cell phone videos captured in the street of police use of force involving citizens seem commonplace of late. The videos go viral on social media and dominate ensuing news cycles on television and in print media. But it is not commonplace for the public to [...]
Judge rules in favor of Odessa American, denies city request to dismiss public information lawsuit
By the Odessa AmericanOriginally published Oct. 12, 2020 A visiting state district judge has denied the City of Odessa’s request to dismiss a lawsuit by the Odessa American to force the city to comply with public information laws. It took only a few days for Judge Rodney Satterwhite to review arguments and rule Monday that the OA’s lawsuit should be allowed to proceed. Attorneys for the city wanted Satterwhite to [...]
Transparency panel addresses open government concerns amid COVID-19 pandemic
Requestors seeking government records using the Texas Public Information Act are running into roadblocks during the COVID-19 pandemic. A panel of journalists and open government experts addressed their concerns and questions during an online policy discussion Wednesday hosted by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini and co-hosted by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, the Texas Association of Broadcasters and the Texas Press Association. View a recording of online event on [...]
Join Texas open government webinar Wednesday, Oct. 7
The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and other open government advocates are joining Sen. Judith Zaffirini for a free online webinar she is hosting tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 1:30 p.m. Panelists include Sen. Zaffirini; Justin Gordon, chief of the attorney general's office open records division; investigative journalist Jaie Avila of WOAI-TV in San Antonio; and moderator Julie Fine of KXAS-TV in Fort Worth-Dallas. Register in advance at http://bit.ly/TXPressZoom.