Judge tosses Texas cities from sunshine act suit
EL PASO, Texas -- A federal judge in West Texas has ruled that four Texas cities can't sue that state over its open meetings law.
In the nine-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Robert Junell of Pecos concluded that the cities of Alpine, Pflugerville, Rockport and Wichita Falls can't sue Texas and Attorney General Greg Abbott to overturn the state law.
The cities and more than a dozen elected officials sued Abbott and the state last year.
They argued the Texas Open Meetings Act violates the officials' First Amendment rights to free speech by barring elected officials from deliberating in secret. Click here for more on the open meeting act from SunshineReview.org.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press, All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.