EDITORIAL: A victory for the people
All who believe in the right of an informed electorate must hail U.S. District Judge Robert Junell’s ruling this week in favor of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s defense of the Texas Open Meetings Act. Four cities claimed the act infringed on their First Amendment rights because it interfered with the ability to discuss matters in secret.
These cities’ leaders could have saved everyone a lot of money and time by asking constituents how they felt about this darkly nebulous idea.
We see this successful defense of the Texas Open Meetings Act as a victory for people who want ready access to information so they can make intelligent decisions when they vote. This is not, as some might conclude, a mere press access law, though it certainly benefits the press also. It’s really about public access and the right to hear our elected leaders discuss issues of the day so that we can fully understand their views, gauge their effectiveness and draw solid conclusions in our own vital role in a democratic republic.
Few of us think we’re ever going to need the protections of the Texas Open Meetings Act. Only when something threatens to up-end our lives or alter society do we suddenly realize the enormous blessings inherent in this law. While a suit by individual elected officials to overturn the act continues, we salute Abbott’s office for championing the act and Junell for stressing to Wichita Falls, Rockport, Pflugerville and Alpine that First Amendment freedom of speech rights are a privilege of the people — and not of cities.
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