eChaser: July 2014 / p3

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Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas update: Attorney General Greg Abbott, under fire for blocking public access to state records documenting the location of dangerous chemicals, says Texans still can find out where the substances are stored — they just have to ask. “You know where they are if you drive around,” Abbott told reporters. “You can ask every facility whether or not they have chemicals or not. You can ask them if they do, and they can tell you, well, we do have chemicals or we don’t have chemicals, and if they do, they tell which ones they have.” In a recent decision by his office, Abbott, the Republican candidate for governor, said government entities can withhold the state records, in so-called Tier II reports, of dangerous chemical locations. The reports contain an inventory of hazardous chemicals. Collected under the federal Community Right to Know Act, the information was made available upon request for decades to homeowners, the media or anyone else who wanted to know where dangerous chemicals were stored. Details. Meanwhile, Abbott is appealing a whistleblower’s lawsuit and $1.2 million verdict, arguing that an El Paso jury was wrong when it decided that the office fired an employee in retaliation for alerting supervisors to internal wrongdoing. It is the second whistleblower lawsuit against the attorney general to grab recent headlines. Details. ... Congress may take action this year to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act. The National Security Archive at George Washington University posted a bill by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, called the FOIA Improvement Act of 2014. A separate FOIA update bill has already passed the U.S. House. Details. ... A federal judge gave a big boost to Texas’ anti-SLAPP statute by granting a South Texas television station’s motion to dismiss and applying the state law in federal court for the first time.The state law enacted in 2011 was designed to thwart malicious or frivolous lawsuits that aim to chill free speech, known as strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPP suits. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos dismissed a challenge to the anti-SLAPP statute and the argument that it was a procedural rule that conflicted with federal rules. Ramos held that the statute creates a significant substantive First Amendment right and should be applied in federal court. Details.

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GET A JOB

POLITICO Pro is looking for a reporter to cover energy and environmental policy. ... D Magazine Partners offers a variety of internships each semester. ... The Cleburne Times Review seeks a reporter for Johnson County government, some cities, writing features, sports and photography. Ability to paginate using InDesign a plus. Dependable transportation required. Send cover letter, résumé, references and work samples to managing editor Dale Gosser, P.O. Box 1569, Cleburne, TX 76033; or e- dgosser@trcle.com. ... The Dallas Morning News seeks a full-time designer with experience building news and feature pages. ... The Victoria Advocate needs two reporters to cover the nonprofits beat and arts/diversity in South Texas. Send résumé and cover letters to Chris Cobler, ccobler@vicad.com. ... The Texas Department of Transportation has an opening for a communications director. ...

Journalism jobs in the Rio Grande Valley: reporters, night city editor, designer/layout/copy editor and sports reporter at The Monitor and Mid-Valley Town Crier. E- Sandra Sanchez, ssanchez@themonitor.com. ... The Denton Record-Chronicle seeks a copy editor. E- new editor Scott Parks at sparks@dallasnews.com.

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NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS

SPJ ... Joy Donovan Brandon, American Cancer Society ... Jean Marie Brown, TCU

PRSA ... Vanassa Joseph, Trinity River Authority ... Michael Magnus,Tandy Leather Factory

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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Richie Escovedo, Greater Fort Worth PRSA

We're halfway through the year, so let’s pause. Fort Worth PRSA will not meet in July. But that doesn't mean the work stops. As of this writing, 20 chapter members are judging PRSA Arkansas’ Prism Awards. Their work meets our reciprocal judging obligation to that chapter for its outstanding help with our Worthy Awards.

Other than that, we are in planning/scheduling mode for the second half of the year. Be sure to join us Wednesday, Aug. 13, for "Defamation and Invasion of Privacy: What Communicators Must Know in 2014 and Beyond" with commercial litigator and trial attorney Laura Elkind.

And save Wednesday, Sept. 10, for our annual ethics month program. This year we’re bringing back Dr. Doug Newsom, APR, Fellow PRSA, on the eye-catching topic “PR Ethics: Only Fifty Shades of Grey?”

Until then, I hope those of you who are getting a much-deserved (and needed!) respite from work remember to take time for yourself to recharge and reconnect so you can return ready to roll. As for me, I'll be in Montana with my amazingly supportive (and patient) family: my Wonder Wife, Kristen, and our Little Princess and Little Man.

Gone fishin'.

P.S. We’re forming an ad hoc committee to create a three-year strategic plan to help guide the chapter’s board and volunteers. If you’d like to assist, e-mail me at richie.escovedo@gmail.com.

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IABC: STAYING CONNECTED

Betsy Deck, IABC Fort Worth

You’ve worked hard all year. Let’s take July off to enjoy this beautiful summer. When we reconvene, it’s road trip city — a different luncheon location every month. We’ve been studying the membership map and hope this will help spread the love and make your commute easier. For now sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. We’ll catch you in August!

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OVER & OUT

John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ

Sweet Etta Hulme died last month at 90 years of age, and the world lost a little magic. The embodiment of the phrase “a twinkle in your eye,” she was better than any man in the man’s world of editorial cartooning, and she brought a wry, provocative, incisive depth to the Star-Telgram that likely isn’t coming back any time soon. Driving down a country road in a Model T truck, a passel of Republicans and a few Democrats in the bed, she could reach out the window and slap every one of them and never let the truck swerve. She earned her pay on politicians’ arrogance, ignorance, hypocrisy and greed. In Texas this should have made her a millionaire. ...

You really don’t want to miss the summer fling at the house that watchdogging built, the Keller estate (“ranchette”) of Dave and Karen Lieber. One of the tastiest SPJ meals I ever had was at this same jolly-up last year at Kristin Sullivan’s. Should we expect more potluck artistry this time? Sure, we should. Thanks in advance to the culinary contributors and to Buddy Jones, who’ll be grilling while everyone else is chilling. Read all about it — and RSVP — here.

Caught my eye. Pentagon wants to tackle climate change — but Congress forbids it. ... Ocean so acidic, it’s ‘dissolving the shells of our baby oysters.’ ... Massive dose of measles vaccine defeats blood cancer in groundbreaking Mayo Clinic experiment. ... California could run out of water in 2 years. ... Manmade island floats on 150,000 recycled plastic bottles. ... Hempcrete startup kickstarts a revolution in sustainable green building in US. ... Pollution-fighting billboards purify 100,000 cubic meters of air every day. ... The cutting-edge tech that will finally bring desalination to US. ... 7 cities making their urban rivers swimmable again. ... Tiny English village blocks giant fracking operation, announces plans to build community-owned solar power plants. ... Altaeros set to break world record with 1,000-foot-high floating wind turbine.

Closing words: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." — philosopher and poet George Santayana, who also said, "History is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren't there" and, "There are books in which the footnotes or comments scrawled by some reader's hand in the margin are more interesting than the text. The world is one of these books"