Following up on what we had to say about HB 2564 here, AFP would like to publicly restate our opposition to the bill and our request that Governor Perry veto this legislation.

We believe this legislation runs contrary to the spirit of the Texas Public Information Act and places undue burdens on public information requestors.

HB 2564 enforces restrictions on the accessibility of public information by placing a limit on the amount of time that government personnel are required to spend producing information in response to a public information request. Given that government entities are already able to charge for the production of such information, this new limit creates an unnecessary roadblock for reasonable requestors, be they individual citizens or organizations.

Government is doing the people’s business, and information should be readily available to those of us paying the bills.

Under the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of representative government that adheres to the principle that government is the servant and not the master of the people, it is the policy of this state that each person is entitled, unless otherwise expressly provided by law, at all times to complete information about the affairs of government and the official acts of public officials and employees. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.

Citizens are entitled to full disclosure and public information. HB 2564 is a step towards denying citizens that right completely.

Governor Perry should veto HB 2564 by Rep. Kelly Hancock and stand up for government transparency.