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On the Records: Texas Has Largest Population Growth
The Lone Star State is getting bigger. Texas had the largest population growth of any state between April 2010 and July 2011, according to figures released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Although the...
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
As Gov. Rick Perry pushes his employment initiatives on the presidential campaign trail, he often touts the jobs created by the Texas Enterprise Fund. But Perry’s opponents say the fund’s contributions...
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10 Most-Viewed Data Apps of 2011: Salaries, Prisons, Public Schools
It was a big year for Trib data apps. As 2011 comes to a close, we have compiled a list of the 10 most-visited data apps on the Tribune site since Jan. 1.We evaluated data apps a little differently...
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Texas Gets a D+ in Public Integrity Study
Texas earned a D+ for state integrity, tying with six other states for 27th place, according to a study released Monday by a group of public watchdog agencies.Texas scored 68 percent, along with...
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When It Comes to Transparency, There's Room for Improvement
During a 2011 legislative debate over payday lenders, state Rep. Gary Elkins, R-Houston, went to the podium in the House to make the case for those businesses against a phalanx of reformers lined up to...
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Dallas Suburbs Lead State in Attempts to Deny Information Requests
Among the state’s biggest cities, several sprawling Dallas-area suburbs tallied the highest rate of requests to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott last year to keep government information secret,...
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Senate Committee Hears Testimony on Open Records Law
Whether Texas' open records law should address “frivolous and overly burdensome” public information requests was among the topics discussed Monday at a state Senate panel hearing.During invited and...
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Texas High Court Ruling Shields Contract Details
Over the objections of Attorney General Ken Paxton's office, the Texas Supreme Court issued a ruling in June making it easier for private companies to keep secret details of their contracts with the...
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Businesses oppose legislation limiting public information exemptions
According to Chris Wallace, Enrique Iglesias is different from a business.The singer made headlines last year after the city of McAllen refused to disclose how much it paid Iglesias for his concert...
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Bills to plug public information "loopholes" breeze through Senate
The Texas Senate cleared a pair of bills Tuesday aimed at plugging "loopholes" in public records law that have left taxpayers in the dark about key details of some government contracts.Senate Bills 407...
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Texas Senate unsticks proposals to plug public records "loopholes"
With looming deadlines threatening to kill a slew of proposals aimed at bolstering access to public records in Texas, a state senator on Thursday muscled them closer to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk — all at...
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Texas House halts effort to ensure access to public information
The Texas House has thwarted an effort to patch what some called “glaring loopholes” in public records law recently created by the Texas Supreme Court.In a last-ditch maneuver last week, the Senate...
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Analysis: A cloudy day for sunshine laws in Texas
Editor's note: If you'd like an email notice whenever we publish Ross Ramsey's column, click here.It might deflate your confidence in the state of Texas to find that the people protecting your access...
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Texas prison system stalls release of public information on executions
The cloud of secrecy surrounding Texas executions has grown a little darker lately.After death penalty defense lawyers claimed the state’s first two executions of the year were botched because of old...
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Analysis: Texas lawmakers asked for a study on open government. They’re still...
Editor's note: If you'd like an email notice whenever we publish Ross Ramsey's column, click here.It makes little sense to scold someone without first reminding them that they are supposed to take care...
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After loss at state Supreme Court, Texas keeps fighting to conceal its...
After buying new, hard-to-obtain execution drugs last month, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is fighting a loss at the state Supreme Court that would force it to name a pharmacy that has...
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Analysis: Why you should treat elected officials like your dog
Singer Enrique Iglesias accepted an award at the 2015 Latin Billboard Awards in Coral Gables, Florida. REUTERS/Carlo AllegriEditor's note: If you'd like an email notice whenever we publish Ross...
View ArticleTribLive: Houston on Open Government
At our 10/16 TribLive conversation, Sam Houston, the Democratic nominee for Texas Attorney General in 2014, talked about how he'd respond to open records requests.
View ArticleKen Paxton refuses to release messages about attendance at pro-Trump rally...
The Texas Tribune joined several other news organizations in an effort to obtain copies of emails and text messages that the Texas attorney general sent or received while in Washington for the rally.
View ArticleTexas bill to increase transparency in public records law left in limbo...
The bill would close a long-standing loophole in state law that allows officials to withhold law enforcement records if no one was convicted in a case. The measure was the only bill sent to the Senate...
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