At the state Capitol, the FOI Foundation of Texas supports bills promoting transparency in government and protecting the rights of free speech and free press. The foundation’s staff and volunteers advocate for legislation that strengthens the Texas Public Information Act, the Texas Open Meetings Act and other state laws. Here are updates about transparency efforts in recent Texas legislative sessions.
Waco Editorial: Baylor legal moves in sexual assault saga raise questions about Texas AG’s opinion
By Waco Tribune-Herald Originally published May 22, 2016 Bowing to the cherished principle that transparency makes for better government, better institutions and better communities, state lawmakers last year overwhelmingly passed a law requiring private university and college police departments to release upon request information such as crime reports, just as city police departments must do. We saw this as a triumph for public safety. [...]
State, Lawyers Debate Identifying Execution Drug Supplier
By Johnathan Silver The Texas Tribune Originally published May 11, 2016 Revealing Texas' supplier of execution drugs could have a harmful effect on the provider and as a result leave the state empty-handed, a lawyer for the state suggested Wednesday during an appeals court hearing. State Deputy Solicitor General Matthew Frederick told a three-judge panel on the Austin-based Third Court of Appeals that a [...]
Texas Supreme Court ruling helps bar the door to public release of company records
By Dug Begley Houston Chronicle Originally published May 3, 2016 A Texas Supreme Court decision last year that one open records advocate said "blew a hole in the Texas Public Information Act" has been used in the past few months to shield records ranging from Uber's driver information in Houston to how much singer Enrique Iglesias was paid for a McAllen Christmas concert. The [...]
County’s attorney wants limit on access to information without compensation
By Cassie L. Smith Waco Tribune-Herald Originally published April 23, 2016 McLennan County’s attorney hopes leaders adopt a policy aimed at deterring “intentionally abusive” open records requests, while others say the move could be construed as having a chilling effect on access to public information. Attorney Mike Dixon, who represents McLennan County and its officeholders, said county staff is trying to process burdensome active [...]
Court: Austin must ID private email addresses used for public business
By Nolan Hicks Austin American-Statesman Originally published April 8, 2016 Public officials won’t be able to shield their personal email addresses from the public if they use the accounts for government business, a state appellate court ruled Friday. Government watchdogs hailed the decision as a win for government transparency and the state’s public records laws. The litigation stems from the “walking quorum” controversy that [...]
Miller’s office withheld emails about ‘Jesus Shot’ trip
By Brian M. Rosenthal Houston Chronicle Originally published April 1, 2016 Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller's office withheld public records that suggest he obtained a medical procedure known as "The Jesus Shot" on a taxpayer-funded trip to Oklahoma, the Houston Chronicle has learned. In response to a February public records request, Miller's office had said that no email messages about the trip existed, even [...]