Sen. Zaffirini files suite of open government reforms proposals
Courtesy of the Office of Sen. Zaffirini
March 3, 2021
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Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, filed a series of bills Tuesday, March 2 to reform the state’s open government laws, specifically the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) and Texas Public Information Act (TPIA). Seven proposals were filed as Senate Bills (SB) 924-930 and also were combined into an omnibus bill, SB 923, captioned “relating to open government.”
“Transparency is essential to preserving democratic governance,” Senator Zaffirini said. “Texans need to know what happens in the halls of power to hold their leaders accountable. I’m delighted to champion not only these proposals, but also the cause of open government generally.”
It’s a continuous job to make sure Texas laws keep pace with modern times and that governments adhere to the letter and the spirit of our transparency laws.
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COVID-19 vaccine pace rises while statewide hospitalizations drop
The number of people in Texas hospitalized with COVID-19 has declined more than 28 percent in the past month, according to the Texas Department of Health Services. As of Feb. 7, Texas hospitals were treating 9,957 COVID-19 patients, down from nearly 14,000 a month ago. The number of new cases in the past week was 123,239 a 22 percent drop from the record high of 158,922 the week of Jan. 10, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.
At the same time new cases and hospitalizations were decreasing, the number of Texans getting their first dose of vaccine crossed the 2.3 million mark as of Sunday, according to TDHS. That’s 700,000 more initial shots in a week. Those who are now fully vaccinated reached 733,287 as of Sunday.
GARY BORDERS
The number of people in Texas hospitalized with COVID-19 has declined more than 28 percent in the past month, according to the Texas Department of Health Services. As of Feb. 7, Texas hospitals were treating 9,957 COVID-19 patients, down from nearly 14,000 a month ago. The number of new cases in the past week was 123,239 a 22% drop from the record high of 158,922 the week of Jan. 10, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.
At the same time new cases and hospitalizations were decreasing, the number of Texans getting their first dose of vaccine crossed the 2.3 million mark as of Sunday, according to TDHS. That’s 700,000 more initial shots in a week. Those who are now fully vaccinated reached 733,287 as of Sunday.
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Texas Press Association Mon, 02/08/2021 - 6:42pm
Gary Borders | Texas Press Association
Monday, February 8, 2021
The number of people in Texas hospitalized with COVID-19 has declined more than 28 percent in the past month, according to the Texas Department of Health Services. As of Feb. 7, Texas hospitals were treating 9,957 COVID-19 patients, down from nearly 14,000 a month ago. The number of new cases in the past week was 123,239 a 22 percent drop from the record high of 158,922 the week of Jan. 10, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.