texas

Texas Senate OKs Bills Opposing Rulings Limiting Open Records Laws

The Texas Senate has approved two proposals seeking to rollback recent state Supreme Court rulings that advocates say weakened open records laws.

Passed 31-0 on Tuesday was Sen. Kirk Watson's bill mandating that governmental entities disclose contracts and other bidding process agreements.

It would effectively undo the so-called "Boeing decision" in 2016, where the Texas Supreme Court ruled that such records didn't have to be made public, citing competitive advantage concerns.

A second bill by Watson, an Austin Democrat, was approved 28-3. It opposes a 2015 state Supreme Court ruling involving the Greater Houston Partnership.

Watson said that allowed entities fully and partially publicly funded to keep how they spend public money secret.

Echoing free-speech advocates' objections, Watson said the ruling blew "a gaping hole" in Texas' Public Information Act.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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