AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The state's Homeland Security Act, written to restrict access to security-related details and prevent terrorist attacks, is being applied broadly to withhold a variety of information.
A review by the Austin-American Statesman found that government lawyers have argued that the law shields diagrams of school classrooms, drawings of underground rock formations and exterior pictures of the Governor's Mansion.
In 2010, Texas appellate judges cited the law to rule against releasing images from cameras in a Capitol hallway. They said it could enable a terrorist to thwart the building's security system. A half-dozen other state and local agencies have cited that decision to deny similar open records requests.
Sunshine Week, an annual recognition and review of open government sponsored by the American Society of News Editors, began Sunday.
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Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.