Greater Transparency Would Boost Trust in Texas Government

There's no question that Americans, particularly Texans, are increasingly suspicious of government. Trust in government is at a dangerously low level.That's why virtually every candidate who runs for the Texas Legislature loudly proclaims that he or she is all for transparency and accountability. Unfortunately, campaign season is a distant memory at this point in Texas' legislative session. Lawmakers have spent four full months in the company of lobbyists who are paid nicely to convince them that the interests of their clients are threatened by transparency.Today, with only a month remaining, a Legislature that began as a tabernacle-sized choir singing the chorus of transparency has dwindled to a small combo that could rehearse in a two-car garage. With time running out and important pro-transparency bills hanging in the balance, it's time for those who sang in the choir during campaign season to remember the music.Six transparency bills must pass to restore Texas to what it once was, a state with some of the strongest transparency laws in the nation. For that to happen, citizens must tell their legislators they expect them to come down on the side of the folks who voted them into office.  Continue reading...