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Open Government Seminar, free and open to the public, set for Hidalgo County Commissioners Court Chambers in Edinburg on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, reports attorney Omar Ochoa - Titans of the Texas Legislature

FEATURED: Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortéz will be hosting the Open Government Seminar on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, which will feature expert advice on the Texas Public Information Act and the Texas Open Meetings Act, reports South Texas attorney Omar Ochoa. “The Open Government Seminar, which is free and open to the public, not only will provide people the know-how and ability to more clearly understand and better use the Texas Public Information Act and the Texas Open Meetings Act, but also is an excellent occasion for journalists, social media influencers, government, business and community leaders, and people from all walks of life to bring their own ideas on how to improve those two very important foundations of transparency in government,” Ochoa said.

Graphic Courtesy CARLOS SÁNCHEZ

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Open Government Seminar, free and open to the public, set for Hidalgo County Commissioners Court Chambers in Edinburg on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, reports attorney Omar Ochoa

By DAVID A. DÍAZ 
[email protected]

Journalists, elected and appointed public officials, and the general public in the Rio Grande Valley will have the opportunity to hear expert presentations on the Texas Public Information Act and the Texas Open Meetings Act during the Open Government Seminar, hosted by Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortéz, to be held in Edinburg on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, reports South Texas attorney Omar Ochoa.

https://www.omarochoalaw.com

The Open Government Seminar, which will take place from 9 a.m. to noon, will be held in the chambers of the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court located at the Hidalgo County Annex, 100 E. Cano Street.

Scheduled speakers are Tamara Smith, Assistant Attorney General, and Chief, Open Records Division, Texas Attorney General, and Tom Williams, partner at Haynes and Boone law firm and executive committee member of the nonprofit Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas.

Seating capacity is limited to 150 individuals, so registration is required.

Ochoa reminded interested individuals that there is some reserved parking available in Annex Lot 1 for people with a disability as well as for veteran/Purple Heart recipients next to the Hidalgo County Annex, along with public parking, on a first-come basis for everyone else. 

There are also two other lots (Annex Lot 2 and Annex Lot 3), which are within short-walking distance of the Hidalgo County Annex, which also include public parking on a first-come basis.

https://www.hidalgocounty.us/2366/Parking-Lot-Plan-Maps

“The Open Government Seminar, which is free and open to the public, not only will provide people the know-how and ability to more clearly understand and better use the Texas Public Information Act and the Texas Open Meetings Act, but also is an excellent occasion for journalists, social media influencers, government, business and community leaders, and residents from all walks of life, to bring their own ideas on how to improve those two very important foundations of transparency in government,” Ochoa said.

A social media influencer is an individual who is an an expert in a particular field and share their knowledge with a hand-picked audience on one or more social channels. 

Transparency in government is generally defined as a government’s obligation to be open, accountable and honest with citizens on how it is conducting business and spending taxes. 

“Transparency in government is essential for a functioning democracy,” said Cortéz. “The objective of this seminar is to hear from the experts about how our state’s open government laws work.”

In general, the Texas Public Information Act and the Texas Open Meetings Act are defined as two separate laws that work together to make the Texas government more transparent and accessible to the public.

“The upcoming meeting in Edinburg comes at an important time since within the next two months – soon after the Tuesday, November 5, 2024 general election – state lawmakers will begin refiling proposed laws designed to affect government transparency in Texas,” Ochoa added. “These legislative measures will be taken up by the 88th Texas Legislature when they begin in early January 2025 its five-month long regular session at the Texas Capitol.”

Ochoa, a champion for government transparency, provides regular reports to the public on the Texas Public Information Act, the Texas Open Meetings Act, and existing and proposed state laws that affect the mainstream and social media and the people’s rights to know about the actions of their governments in the Lone Star State.

Mainstream media is generally defined as forms of media, especially traditional forms such as newspapers, television, and radio, rather than the Internet, that influence large numbers of people and are likely to represent generally accepted beliefs and opinions.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/mainstream-media

Social media is generally defined as websites and computer programs that allow people to communicate and share information, opinions, picture, videos, etc. on the Internet, especially social networking websites, such as Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, and others.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/social-media

Cortéz is scheduled to open the event with welcoming remarks to the participants and speakers. Although a press conference is not planned, the speakers will take questions and advice from the press and public during the Open Government Seminar, according to Carlos Sánchez, the county’s Public Affairs Division Director since early March 2020.

Sánchez, a native El Pasoan and a journalist for four decades, has worked in 10 newsrooms during his career, including The Monitor in McAllen, Texas Monthly, the Washington Post, the Austin American-Statesman, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He has also written for the Guardian and the Atlantic. 

https://www.texasmonthly.com/contributors/carlos-sanchez

Sánchez also serves as a member of the board of directors for the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, which is organizing the event. 

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, headquartered in Austin, is a nonprofit group that supports open records and open meetings in Texas. Over the years, the organization has successfully helped citizens in their search for access to government meetings and documents – things that the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas believes should be a matter of public record.

https://foift.org/

According to the Office of the Texas Attorney General:

• The Texas Public Information Act generally requires a government body to release information in response to a request for information. However, if a government body believes that the information is not required to be released, then both the request and the information at issue must be reviewed by the Open Records Division of the Office of the Texas Attorney General. The Open Records Division will issue a decision on whether the governmental body is permitted to withhold the request information or must release the information to the requester; and

• The Texas Open Meeting Act is designed to make sure that government is transparent, open and accountable to the people. At its core, the Texas Open Meetings Act required government entities to keep official business accessible to the public. The notice must be posted at the Government Center for at least 72 hours before the meeting. The law defines a meeting as a quorum of members deliberating on public business or policy, or taking official action.

THE TEXAS TRIBUNEFORT BEND HERALD WIN 2024 SPIRIT OF FOI (FREEDOM OF INFORMATION) AWARDS AT STATE CONFERENCE IN AUSTIN

News reporting on political interference with faculty in the Texas A&M University System and on city officials purchasing personal items using city money have won this year’s Spirit of FOI (Freedom of Information) Awards. 

The Texas Tribune and the Fort Bend Herald received the awards at the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas’ state conference held in Austin on Friday, September 13, 2024. 

KVUE-TV in Austin received an honorable mention. 

The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award honors journalism that upholds First Amendment rights and promotes open government. The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award is named for the Texas Freedom of Information Foundation’s first executive director. 

“We are grateful to these journalists and their news organizations for outstanding reporting that keeps the public informed, including use of the Texas Public Information Act. Our state is a better place because of this work shining light on the truth,” said Kelley Shannon, Executive Director, the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. 

The Texas Tribune won in the Class AA category for markets of 500,000 population and larger. Its reports explained the botched recruitment of Kathleen McElroy to launch a new journalism program and the temporary suspension of Professor Joy Alonzo, a respected opioids expert. 

The Texas Tribune’s reporting revealed a “stunning level of political meddling” in the academic operations at Texas A&M, the contest judge said, noting that the McElroy debacle garnered national attention and prompted the resignation of the university president. 

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/11/texas-a-m-kathleen-mcelroy-journalism

The Fort Bend Herald is the winner in the Class A category for markets under 500,000 population. Its reporting on the city of Kendleton revealed the mayor and others purchased meals, groceries, gas and gifts on city-issued credit cards and that the mayor made unauthorized payments for personal legal fees and a pay raise. 

“The Herald’s reporting is the kind of essential watchdog work that prompts both outrage and enormous pride. … pride in the tenacious reporting of a news organization in holding public authorities accountable, using the state open records system,” the contest judge said. 

https://www.fbherald.com/community/herald-wins-spirit-of-foi-award/article_671709f0-7696-508b-a108-1154a91dc34a.html

KVUE was honored for its reporting about a Texas Department of Transportation commissioner who was paid more than $90,000 over five years despite never showing up for work. 

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/investigations/defenders/txdot-commissioner-payroll-no-work/269-7cb28146-b913-4902-87b7-5633199ee414

The contest judge was Kevin Johnson, formerly of USA Today and currently with the National Press Foundation.

The annual contest is open to Texas newspaper, broadcast and online journalism outlets. Founded in 1978, the nonprofit Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas promotes open government and protects the First Amendment rights of free speech and free press.

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For more on this and other Texas legislative news stories that affect the Rio Grande Valley metropolitan region, please log on to Titans of the Texas Legislature (TitansoftheTexasLegislature.com).

Titans of the Texas Legislature

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