Texas Public Information Act

El Paso council item to limit open records access criticized

FOIFT2016-03-06T19:53:25-06:00

By Elida S. Perez El Paso Times Originally published March 5, 2016 The City Council will have what an expert said is a pointless discussion about trying to restrict a class of individuals from requesting city records through the Texas Public Information Act. “They can’t just take it upon themselves to cut off whole classes of people from requesting records,” said Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas Executive Director Kelley Shannon. “They have to treat everyone equally under the law.” An item on Tuesday’s agenda, requested by city Rep. Emma Acosta, calls for "discussion and action regarding open records requests released to person(s) [...]

El Paso council item to limit open records access criticizedFOIFT2016-03-06T19:53:25-06:00

El Paso city spokeswoman’s records role ‘problematic’

FOIFT2016-02-25T15:58:01-06:00

By Cindy Ramirez El Paso Times Originally published Feb. 24, 2016 An outside investigator found it "problematic" that the city's public information officer determined which documents should have been released to the El Paso Times under an open records request the newspaper filed last year. The public information officer, Juli Lozano, withheld two documents that other city officials had said were responsive to a Times request for records related to projects that were requested by City Council members, according to a report from Austin attorney Ross Fischer that was made public Wednesday. One of the documents that was withheld seems to contradict City Manager Tommy [...]

El Paso city spokeswoman’s records role ‘problematic’FOIFT2016-02-25T15:58:01-06:00

Paxton prosecutors sue Paxton’s agency to block records

FOIFT2016-01-15T15:37:11-06:00

By Chuck Lindell Austin American-Statesman Originally published Jan. 14, 2016 In an unusual and head-spinning twist, prosecutors in the criminal case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the attorney general’s office Thursday to block the release of sensitive case information that could hinder Paxton’s defense but that his own agency ordered to be turned over to a Texas newspaper. Go ahead, read that sentence again. The latest twist began Oct. 14 when The Dallas Morning News requested copies of thousands of pages of investigative records that prosecutors had provided to Paxton’s defense lawyers in preparation for a potential trial on [...]

Paxton prosecutors sue Paxton’s agency to block recordsFOIFT2016-01-15T15:37:11-06:00

When seeking public records, know your rights, responsibilities

FOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:40-05:00

By Kelley Shannon Executive Director Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas If you’ve seen news reports on suspicious state contracts or chemical waste pits or officials’ text messages in the Waco biker shootout, you may notice a recurring theme: Government records obtained through the Texas Public Information Act. Fortunately, our state’s public information law, created in the early 1970s, presumes government records are open unless a specific exemption in the law keeps the documents off limits. The public has a right to know. That means all citizens - not only journalists - can access government records. “It’s very easy,” said award-winning [...]

When seeking public records, know your rights, responsibilitiesFOIFT2022-03-31T17:08:40-05:00

Depositions expose Austin public information flaws

FOIFT2015-11-10T19:41:07-06:00

By Ken Martin The Austin Bulldog Originally published Nov. 9, 2015 “The City of Austin is committed to an open and transparent government. I believe this is an integral part of maintaining a vital and robust democracy.” — City Manager Marc Ott Marc OttOtt published this oft-repeated pledge in an April 8, 2015, memo titled “City of Austin Open Data Initiative 2.0.” Yet, the City has failed to consistently live up to that commitment. By actual performance the City has demonstrated that it receives and routes public information requests to departments or offices thought to have the applicable records but fails [...]

Depositions expose Austin public information flawsFOIFT2015-11-10T19:41:07-06:00

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