Stoked on Columbus!
What to know: Blue states continue to lose sleep over Columbus Day, and insist on eliminating it from their basic vocabulary.
The TPPF take: Oh, please. Christopher Columbus was an important explorer.
“The left loves changing the names of things that conflict with their worldview,” says TPPF’s Sherry Sylvester. “We’ve all suffered through left-wing name changes like calling Columbus Day ‘Indigenous People’s Day.’ It doesn’t mean we have to comply.”
For more on Columbus Day, click here.
Fleecing the Flock
What to know: A federal jury has found Bexar County liable for an unlawful traffic stop scheme, which used Flock cameras to surveil drivers.
The TPPF take: Public outcry over surveillance cameras is hardly a novel concept, as the voyeuristic nature of our modern technological state has a long history.
“The question of Flock cameras is truly about our social contract, one in which tension between freedom and attachment, liberty and autonomy, cannot be resolved unless we consider our rapidly evolving technological world,” says TPPF’s Cameron Abrams. “A society that no longer trusts its government or its neighbors will eventually demand more surveillance, whether it be from the state above or the camera next door.”
For more on Flock cameras and surveillance, click here.
Public Information
What to know: The Texas Supreme Court is now considering a case brought by TPPF attorneys regarding Highland Park ISD’s interpretation of standard public information laws.
The TPPF take: The outcome could determine whether governments across Texas can hide behind attorney-client privilege to keep otherwise public investigations hidden from taxpayers.
“Texas law says that completed reports, audits, evaluations, and investigations made for or by a governmental body are generally public information, with limited exceptions,” says TPPF’s Eric Oldfather. “A 2001 Texas Supreme Court decision has allowed attorney-client privilege to serve as one of those exceptions. TPPF’s attorneys are asking the Supreme Court to close that loophole.”
For more on public information laws and transparency, click here.