AUSTIN— Last night, the Texas House voted overwhelmingly in favor of the passage of Senate Bill 943, a bill to expand the disclosure requirements of government contracts under the Public Information Act and revise exceptions from disclosure based on competitive advantage and trade secrets. The new law would strengthen the public’s right to know and is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
“Public information is an essential ingredient in holding our elected officials accountable. If signed into law, Senate Bill 943 will give Texans greater access to information related to government spending and strengthen the public’s right to know,” said Think Local Liberty’s James Quintero. “The bill greatly improves the current open government environment and helps to reverse some of the erosion that’s occurred in the wake of two court cases, Boeing v. Paxton and Greater Houston Partnership v. Paxton.”
This legislation was supported by the Texas Sunshine Coalition, a diverse open government coalition that included the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the Center for Public Policy Priorities, the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, and numerous other partners.