Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas

Mother of man killed by Denton County deputies in 2019 still holding out for footage

FOIFT2022-02-25T17:25:07-06:00

By Zaira Perez Denton Record-Chronicle Originally published Feb. 23, 2022 More than two years after her son’s death at the hands of Denton County deputies, Cheryl Kristin Adams said she still thinks about the fatal shooting every day. Adams said she still doesn’t have closure because she said the sheriff’s office isn’t sharing the body camera footage from that night even though she has requested body camera footage showing the shooting of her son, Kristopher Adams, on Sept. 16, 2019. ... Jim Hemphill, an attorney with the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, said the sheriff’s office might be relying on [...]

Mother of man killed by Denton County deputies in 2019 still holding out for footageFOIFT2022-02-25T17:25:07-06:00

Threats from Gov. Abbott among reasons why a Texas school district keeps book challenges secretive

FOIFT2022-01-10T17:02:41-06:00

By Talia Richman The Dallas Morning News Originally published Jan. 10, 2022 Fear of retribution from Gov. Greg Abbott contributes to Keller school officials’ push to keep deliberations about which books to ban from libraries private. ... Joe Larsen, an attorney on the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas board of directors, reviewed Keller ISD’s arguments. But despite the district’s concerns, he said, book challenge committee meetings should be open to the public because of the decisions members are empowered to make. “What we’re able to read is the basis of a free society,” Larsen said. “There are obviously going to [...]

Threats from Gov. Abbott among reasons why a Texas school district keeps book challenges secretiveFOIFT2022-01-10T17:02:41-06:00

In pandemic era, Texans’ access to public information at risk

FOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:19-05:00

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 many Texans’ routine interactions with their government as they request police reports and school budget documents and so much more. It has been used to expose government action – or inaction [...]

In pandemic era, Texans’ access to public information at riskFOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:19-05:00

After shutting down workouts, UH avoids serious COVID-19 outbreaks, public records show

FOIFT2020-11-16T22:34:44-06:00

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 — for 14 varsity sports, according to data obtained through an open-records request. Read the full story here.

After shutting down workouts, UH avoids serious COVID-19 outbreaks, public records showFOIFT2020-11-16T22:34:44-06:00

Journalist Karen Blumenthal receives James Madison Award for open records activism

FOIFT2020-11-10T20:26:22-06:00

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 open government. Blumenthal spent more than two decades with The Wall Street Journal, including eight years as its Dallas bureau chief, and wrote non-fiction books for young people in the final [...]

Journalist Karen Blumenthal receives James Madison Award for open records activismFOIFT2020-11-10T20:26:22-06:00

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