Enrique Iglesias

Sunshine Week Column: Sun starting to shine again on Texas government

2022-03-31T17:08:24-05:00

By Kelley Shannon Texans have something to celebrate during Sunshine Week this year. But we also have more work to do to protect the public’s right to know about our government.  Sunshine Week, March 15-21, is an annual national initiative proclaiming the importance of access to public information. First, the bright spot for Texas: Essential elements of contracts between governments and private companies – including pricing and promises – are public again under a law that took effect Jan. 1. It seems like those basics of how taxpayer dollars are spent should be easily accessible, doesn’t it? They were, for years, [...]

Sunshine Week Column: Sun starting to shine again on Texas government2022-03-31T17:08:24-05:00

FOI Column: Boeing ruling stretched, twisted to keep government records secret

2022-03-31T17:08:33-05:00

By Kelley Shannon Executive Director FOI Foundation of Texas Every week, government officials across Texas and private companies receiving taxpayer dollars get increasingly creative in hiding public records. Their new tool is the Boeing ruling, a decision from the Texas Supreme Court that lowered the threshold for arguing competitive bidding as an exemption from disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act. It gives governments an easier path to claim that competitive bidding concerns should allow them to keep records secret. And, businesses can now make the claim, too. Those attempting to censor records under Boeing have sought approximately 1,500 rulings from [...]

FOI Column: Boeing ruling stretched, twisted to keep government records secret2022-03-31T17:08:33-05:00

Some Texas lawmakers want to close open records loophole

2017-03-01T14:05:44-06:00

By Nicole Cobler San Antonio Express-News Originally published Feb. 28, 2017 Some state lawmakers are aiming to close an open records loophole in light of a 2015 Texas Supreme court ruling that allows governments to withhold records turned over to agencies by businesses. Lawmakers debated a slew of open records legislation in a Senate hearing Tuesday, including Sen. Kirk Watson’s bill that responds to the 2015 Boeing ruling by the state’s highest court, which blocked the release of some details of a lease between the Boeing Co. and the Port Authority of San Antonio because the aerospace manufacturer said making the [...]

Some Texas lawmakers want to close open records loophole2017-03-01T14:05:44-06:00

Texas high court carves “monstrous loophole” for government secrets

2016-08-08T14:54:29-05:00

By Jim Malewitz The Texas Tribune Originally published Aug. 5, 2016 Thanks to the Texas Supreme Court, McAllen taxpayers cannot find out how much their city paid Enrique Iglesias to belt out his Latin pop lyrics at a holiday parade. And Houston cannot release, among other information, how many driver permits it has issued to ride-hailing giant Uber. A Kaufman County school district’s food service deal? Much of that is now secret, as are details of a Texas Department of Insurance contract for interpretation services. Those are a few instances among many over the past year in which Texas Attorney General [...]

Texas high court carves “monstrous loophole” for government secrets2016-08-08T14:54:29-05:00

City of McAllen continues to withhold parade information

2016-03-23T18:49:57-05:00

By Mitchell Ferman The Monitor Originally published March 22, 2016 The City of McAllen called The Monitor’s open records request for issued checks, documents and emails between city officials relating to the Enrique Iglesias concert in December 2015 a “backdoor” attempt to “circumvent” a previous ruling from the Texas Attorney General’s Office. The city complied with a portion of the request while deferring the rest of the request to an opinion from the attorney general. In a letter to the attorney general pertaining to the request, the city stated it will be negotiating similar contracts and documents with other performers in [...]

City of McAllen continues to withhold parade information2016-03-23T18:49:57-05:00

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