If the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas has its way, Texas lawmakers would be the first in the nation to consider laws that set the boundaries for texting and Tweeting by public officials.
The San Antonio Express-News is reporting that Keith Elkins, executive director for the foundation, told the Senate Committee on State Affairs these new private forms of communication make it possible for elected officials to, essentially, form a quorum to meet and discuss issues in private. Elkins said the state currently has no clear legal language to address whether such communications are subject to the Texas Public Information Act.
“We haven't found any other legislature that has taken this on. This is new territory,” said Michael Schneider, program director of the Texas Association of Broadcasters.
"Trying to draw a line between protecting an individual's right to privacy and making sure public officials are not conducting the public’s business in the dark is challenging, to say the least, for state lawmakers," the foundation said in a statement posted on its Web site today. "However, we believe it is a challenge that not only needs to be dealt with head-on but also now, rather than later."
Editor's Note: Texas Watchdog Deputy Editor Jennifer Peebles is a board member of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas.
Contact Mark Lisheron at 512-299-2318 or mark@texaswatchdog.org.
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