Court: Austin must ID private email addresses used for public business
FOIFT2016-04-11T14:54:46-05:00By 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 roiled Austin City Hall five years ago, involving accusations that City Council members violated the state’s transparency laws by conducting government business out of public view. None of the current City Council members were in office then. [...]