After the Sharpstown Bank scandal in 1972, Texas voters overwhelmingly elected reform candidates to the Texas Legislature who adopted sweeping legislation to better safeguard our government from corruption and secrecy. At the time, Texas adopted some of the strongest laws in the nation on government transparency, what are now the Texas Public Information Act, the Texas Open Meetings Act, and little known, but important, records retention laws.
But even at just 46 years of age, those open government laws are dying of old age. The vitality of open government laws in Texas has been diminished by technology and adverse court decisions without legislative response.
