Texas Public Information Act

Austin American-Statesman sues city of Austin over city manager secrecy

2017-11-01T02:33:58-05:00

By Philip Jankowski and Elizabeth Findell Austin American-Statesman Originally published Oct. 31, 2017 The American-Statesman has sued the city of Austin after officials denied requests under the Texas Public Information Act to disclose the identities of finalists for city manager. The Statesman filed the suit Tuesday in a Travis County district court as the Austin City Council began the first of two days of interviewing finalists. The lawsuit seeks disclosure of the city manager candidates’ names. The Statesman has independently confirmed the identities of four of the candidates. “The residents of Austin will be paying the salary for a new city manager, [...]

Austin American-Statesman sues city of Austin over city manager secrecy2017-11-01T02:33:58-05:00

State Fair of Texas at center of public records battle

2017-12-04T21:00:39-06:00

By Dave Montgomery For 24 days every autumn, throngs of visitors stream into the State Fair of Texas in Dallas for shows, music, exhibits, livestock judging, carnival rides and gastronomic delights such as corny dogs and fried butter. Millions worldwide know it as the home of Big Tex, the fair’s 55-foot animatronic cowboy. But for more than two years, the 131-year-old Dallas institution has attracted attention for another reason. It has been at the center of a meandering legal battle involving the Texas Public Information Act, long regarded as a national gold standard for giving citizens access to the inner-workings of [...]

State Fair of Texas at center of public records battle2017-12-04T21:00:39-06:00

San Antonio Express-News: Form special committee on public records

2017-10-23T14:32:20-05:00

Editorial Board San Antonio Express-News Originally published Oct. 22, 2017 There are several glaring and troubling loopholes in Texas’ public records law. The most troubling example comes courtesy of a 2015 Texas Supreme Court ruling that allows businesses contracting with public entities to keep those contracts and other key details secret. For years, such information was public record, the idea being the public should know how its money is being spent. But thanks to that 2015 ruling, all kinds of formerly routine information has been kept secret under the guise that its release would place private companies at “competitive disadvantages.” For [...]

San Antonio Express-News: Form special committee on public records2017-10-23T14:32:20-05:00

Dallas Morning News: We urge Texas legislative leaders to get moving on protecting the public’s right to know

2017-10-04T14:33:06-05:00

Dallas Morning News Editorial Originally published Oct. 3, 2017 Imagine getting the devastating news that your son died in police custody. Then imagine not being able to find out exactly what happened to him for months because officials won't release information. That describes the case of Tony Timpa, who died August 2016, less than an hour after calling 911 from a parking lot of a Dallas porn store. Dallas Morning News investigative writer Cary Aspinwall reports we still don't have all the answers more than a year later because the Dallas Police Department, citing an ongoing investigation, has denied access to records. [...]

Dallas Morning News: We urge Texas legislative leaders to get moving on protecting the public’s right to know2017-10-04T14:33:06-05:00

Editorial: Government agencies are holding our records and trying to keep us from seeing them; that’s not right

2017-09-27T15:36:09-05:00

Editorial Dallas Morning News Originally published Sept. 21, 2017 Here's an alarming new threat to the public's right to know: More and more government agencies around the country are suing private citizens who request access to public information, in order to keep them from seeing the records. Outrageous. There's no better protection to our democracy than our ability to hold the people we elect to public office accountable for how they're spending our tax dollars and conducting our business. These are our records, after all, and these agencies are stomping on citizens' right to keep track of what government is doing. [...]

Editorial: Government agencies are holding our records and trying to keep us from seeing them; that’s not right2017-09-27T15:36:09-05:00

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