Paul Watler

Questions Raised About San Antonio Council’s Closed Door Decision

FOIFT2017-06-13T15:58:24-05:00

By Shelley D. Kofler Texas Public Radio Originally published June 2, 2017 Have City of San Antonio officials violated the Texas Open Meetings Act? That’s a question being raised after council members decided in a closed executive session to sue the state over its new sanctuary cities law, instead of voting on the decision in a public meeting. At least three city officials or their spokespersons say that last week during an executive session, city council members and staff met and discussed whether the San Antonio City Council should sue the state to stop the implementation of its new sanctuary cities [...]

Questions Raised About San Antonio Council’s Closed Door DecisionFOIFT2017-06-13T15:58:24-05:00

News veteran, journalism educator Wanda Cash to receive James Madison Award

FOIFT2016-08-16T17:05:17-05:00

AUSTIN – Texas newswoman Wanda Garner Cash, an educator who has led multiple newspapers and long worked for the public’s right to know, is the recipient of the 2016 James Madison Award presented by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. The award honors those who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to upholding the principles of the First Amendment and open government. It will be presented Sept. 8 at the John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon during the foundation’s Bernard and Audre Rapoport State Conference in Austin. “Wanda Cash has been a leading open government advocate and passionate voice for the First Amendment [...]

News veteran, journalism educator Wanda Cash to receive James Madison AwardFOIFT2016-08-16T17:05:17-05:00

Former Senator Don Adams to receive FOI Foundation’s James Madison Award

FOIFT2015-08-04T16:30:19-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 4, 2015 AUSTIN – Former Senator Don Adams, who has worked for decades to protect the public’s right to know, is the recipient of the 2015 James Madison Award presented by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. The award goes to those who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to upholding the principles of the First Amendment and open government. It will be presented Sept. 17 during the John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon at the foundation’s Bernard and Audre Rapoport State Conference in Austin. “Senator Don Adams’ steadfast support of and tireless advocacy for open government and First [...]

Former Senator Don Adams to receive FOI Foundation’s James Madison AwardFOIFT2015-08-04T16:30:19-05:00

Watler: Old-school investigative sports reporting still relevant after all these years

FOIFT2014-11-18T15:16:01-06:00

By Paul Watler Jackson Walker L.L.P. As a young lawyer in 1985, a case came my way that combined several passions: college football, newspaper journalism and the First Amendment. I was the associate attorney assigned to help apply legal muscle in support of our client, The Dallas Morning News. The newspaper's mission was to use open records law to pursue allegations that Southern Methodist University was illicitly paying football players – the pay-for-play scandal documented decades later by the ESPN 30-for-30 film, Pony Excess. Two local Dallas metro daily newspapers and a network affiliate television station intensely competed to break the story, including [...]

Watler: Old-school investigative sports reporting still relevant after all these yearsFOIFT2014-11-18T15:16:01-06:00

Texas Supreme Court refuses to hear Greater Houston Partnership case on Texans’ right to records

FOIFT2014-10-06T15:37:46-05:00

By Mark Collette Houston Chronicle Originally published Oct. 3, 2014 The Texas Supreme Court on Friday refused to hear a lawsuit by Greater Houston Partnership that could have limited the public's right to know about government money sent to private groups. The case applies to all businesses and nonprofits in Texas that receive public funds. It allows the state attorney general to decide on a case-by-case basis which organizations must open their books under open records law, and under what circumstances. GHP's case attacked one of the earliest and most expansive constructions of Texas open records law, known as the Kneeland [...]

Texas Supreme Court refuses to hear Greater Houston Partnership case on Texans’ right to recordsFOIFT2014-10-06T15:37:46-05:00

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