Texas Attorney General’s Office

Roe v. Wade was filed 50 years ago, but Texas still won’t release the full legal files

FOIFT2020-03-08T18:09:43-05:00

By Karen BlumenthalOpinion piece in The Dallas Morning NewsOriginally published March 8, 2020 Getting state and local government records of any kind, especially those of a famous legal case that is nearly 50 years old, should not require a lawyer or a bucket of cash. The state’s Public Information Act is supposed to compel state and local governmental bodies to release records to those who request them within 10 business days. That kind of transparency is crucial to an open society and trust and accountability in government. But in recent years, accessing these documents has gotten harder and more expensive and [...]

Roe v. Wade was filed 50 years ago, but Texas still won’t release the full legal filesFOIFT2020-03-08T18:09:43-05:00

Know your open government rights, remember these basics

FOIFT2020-02-05T16:23:06-06:00

By Kelley ShannonExecutive DirectorFOI Foundation of Texas Whatever our political views, certainly we can agree we have the right to know how government is conducting business. How are taxpayer dollars spent? Who is influencing decisions? Access to information allows us to speak up and hold public officials accountable, while a lack of transparency diminishes trust in government. The Texas Public Information Act and Texas Open Meetings Act are the state’s main open government laws. Based on recent frequently asked questions about these laws, here are a few important reminders: Requested information must be provided promptly. That means as soon as possible and [...]

Know your open government rights, remember these basicsFOIFT2020-02-05T16:23:06-06:00

Open government seminar set for Feb. 25 in Corpus Christi

FOIFT2020-01-29T15:27:55-06:00

CORPUS CHRISTI – Transparency experts will gather Tuesday, Feb. 25, in Corpus Christi for a seminar examining updates to state open government laws and offering training on the Texas Public Information Act and the Texas Open Meetings Act. Rep. Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi is hosting the one-day open government conference, joined by the non-profit Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas in cooperation with the Texas Attorney General’s Office. “Open government and transparency are priorities for the public. We need to encourage accessibility and fairness in the public information gathering process. Freedom of information is key to effective government,” Hunter said. [...]

Open government seminar set for Feb. 25 in Corpus ChristiFOIFT2020-01-29T15:27:55-06:00

Upshur County sheriff will send information request to AG’s office

FOIFT2018-12-19T03:24:06-06:00

By Glenn EvansLongview News-JournalOriginally published Dec. 17, 2018 The News-Journal filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office on Monday morning about Upshur County Sheriff Larry Webb’s handling of a request for a high-profile offense report earlier this month. Late Monday afternoon, the newspaper received a certified letter, dated Dec. 12, from Webb saying he will send information in an assault complaint against District Clerk Karen Bunn to the Attorney General’s Office seeking verification that it can withhold part of the Nov. 14 offense report. The report, by courthouse maintenance crew member Ricky Freeman, accuses Bunn of assault on a public servant, a [...]

Upshur County sheriff will send information request to AG’s officeFOIFT2018-12-19T03:24:06-06:00

Facing complaints of excessive fees, Texas counties release billing records of their opioid lawyers for free

FOIFT2018-10-11T15:10:51-05:00

By Daniel Fisher Legal NewsLine Originally published Oct. 10, 2018 Texas counties that demanded tens of thousands of dollars to provide billing records from outside attorneys representing them in opioid lawsuits have mostly agreed to hand them over for free, after complaints were filed with the Texas Attorney General's Office alleging the cost estimates were excessive and violated the Texas Public Information Act. A number of counties initially quoted costs of as much as $750 an hour for outside attorneys to review and redact privileged information from billing statements, which are considered public records under Texas law. The cost demands from [...]

Facing complaints of excessive fees, Texas counties release billing records of their opioid lawyers for freeFOIFT2018-10-11T15:10:51-05:00

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