AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Two Texas lawmakers want to tighten public records laws to make it harder for governments and the companies they do business with to keep financial information secret.
Sen. Kirk Watson, who’s an Austin Democrat, and GOP Rep. Giovanni Capriglione of Keller said Tuesday they’ll file bills to require companies to prove they would be disclosing key trade secrets if the businesses want to withhold information.
The Texas Supreme Court in 2015 allowed aircraft giant Boeing to keep secret a lease agreement with the San Antonio Port Authority. State Attorney General Ken Paxton has said the ruling allows companies doing business with local governments to keep secret the details of financial agreements.
Open records advocates say that’s a giant loophole in the public’s right to know how governments spend money.
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