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From: John McMillan <mcmillanj@att.net>
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Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2021, 01:32:53 AM CST
Subject: TX OAG on 12-10-21 orders the THECB state agency to release to me numerous legal documents
From: John Kevin McMillan, public-information requestor.
My solo-occupancy efficiency-apartment rental-home address ever since June 21, 2019:
Pebble Creek Apts., 8805 North Plaza Drive, Bldg. 17, Apt. 2418, Austin, TX 78753.
My home phone: (512) 342-2295.
My cell phone: (512) 993-7305.
December 14, 2021
Dear Very Honorable Government Officials, Law-Enforcement Agencies, and Political and Cultural Groups,
I learned Monday evening, December 13, that the Attorney General of Texas state agency (OAG) in Austin issued an Open Records ruling on December 10, 2021, that requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) state agency in Austin to release to me numerous documents responsive to my August 31, 2021-dated public-information request of mine to the THECB.
The ruling was in response to a citedly "representative sample of records" that the THECB General Counsel, Ms. Nichole Bunker-Henderson, on October 14, 2021, had submitted (legal letter, below) to the Attorney General on behalf of that state agency's request for official permission to withhold from me cited documents responsive to my public-information request.
The official OAG identification number for the THECB's request for a ruling from the OAG was: 920189 (2022-09). The December 10, 2021, OAG ruling relating to my public information request contained the official OAG identification number of "OR2021-35204".
Nowhere in the OAG's three-page December 10 ruling letter on official OAG stationery is my own name directly mentioned. The third page of that letter cites a "c:", or carbon-copy, to an unspecified "Requestor (w/o enclosures)". However, the front of the mailed envelope containing the ruling letter directly cited my own full name and current address: "JOHN KEVIN MCMILLAN/ 8805 N. PLAZA DR BLDG 17 APT 2418/ AUSTIN TX 78753."
My August 31, 2021, e-mail request had sought "a copy of any and all letters, e-mail letters, reports, memoranda, or other written communications referring to myself at least once in any manner, and that in each such case were written, received, sent, forwarded, mailed, or FAXed at any time since April 1, 2011, by any staff member or attorney or administrator of your state agency's Office of General Counsel here in Austin."
In a three-page official December 10, 2021, ruling letter addressed to THECB General Counsel Nichole Bunker-Henderson and written by Texas Assistant Attorney General Katie Stallcup of the OAG's Open Records Division, Ms. Stallcup wrote on page 3: "The board (THECB) states that the information at issue consists of communications involving the attorneys for the board and board employees in their capacities as clients....
We note...(that) some of these e-mail strings include e-mails received from or sent to non-privileged parties. Furthermore, if the e-mails received from or sent to non-privileged parties are removed from the e-mail strings and stand alone, they are responsive to the request for information. Therefore, if these non-privileged e-mails, which we have marked, are maintained by the board separate and apart from the otherwise privileged e-mail strings in which in which they appear, then the board may not withhold those non-privileged e-mails under section 552.107(1) of the Government Code. The board must release the remaining information...."
My August 31, 2021-dated public-information request of mine to the THECB in Austin had sought "a copy of any and all letters, e-mail letters, reports, memoranda, or other written communications referring to myself at least once in any manner, and that in each such case were written, received, sent, forwarded, mailed, or FAXed at any time since April 1, 2011, by any staff member or attorney or administrator of your state agency's Office of General Counsel here in Austin."
In the December 10, 2021, OAG ruling letter, the first portion of the page 3 paragraph with the above-cited OAG ruling contains a separate ruling from Assistant Attorney General Stallcup that grants the THECB permission to withhold other documents from me:
"The board states the information at issue consists of communications involving the attorneys for the board and board employees in their capacities as clients. The board also states the communications were made for the purpose of facilitating the rendition of professional legal services to the board and that these communications have remained confidential. Based on these representations and our review, we find the board has demonstrated the applicability of the attorney-client privilege to the information at issue. Thus, the board may generally withhold the e-mails in Attachment A under section 552.107(1) of the Government Code...."
On page 2 of the December 10 legal ruling letter from Assistant Attorney General Stallcup, she noted that the THECB had failed to meet a time deadline for submitting to the OAG another portion of the THECB's request to withhold from me documents responsive to my August 31, 2021, public-information request:
"Pursuant to section 552.302 of the Government Code, a governmental body's failure to comply with the procedural requirements of section 552.301 results in the legal presumption that the requested information is public and must be released unless there is a compelling reason to withhold the information from disclosure...."
John Kevin McMillan
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From: John McMillan <mcmillanj@att.net>
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Office) <hrwdc@hrw.org>; humanrts@umn.edu <humanrts@umn.edu>; sjmc@umn.edu <sjmc@umn.edu>; APD PIO <police3@austintexas.gov>; Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis (2021) <district8@austintexas.gov>; Austin City Council Member Alter (2021) <district10@austintexas.gov>; publicrecords@gov.texas.gov <publicrecords@gov.texas.gov>; jacob_chamblin@cruz.senate.gov <jacob_chamblin@cruz.senate.gov>; Moriarty Kate (Cornyn) <kate_moriarty@cornyn.senate.gov>; emailmccaul@mail.house.gov <emailmccaul@mail.house.gov>; Council Member Mackenzie Kelly (2021) <district6@austintexas.gov>; kelly.shannon@foift.org <kelly.shannon@foift.org>; Cleat Info <info@cleat.org>; info@hecc.oregon.gov <info@hecc.oregon.gov>; info.hecc@hecc.oregon.gov <info.hecc@hecc.oregon.gov>; info.ohe@state.mn.us <info.ohe@state.mn.us>; bor.publicaffairs@laregents.edu <bor.publicaffairs@laregents.edu>; adhe_info@adhe.edu <adhe_info@adhe.edu>; fin.aid@state.nm.us <fin.aid@state.nm.us>; media@agb.org <media@agb.org>; nacua@nacua.org <nacua@nacua.org>; Service@americanbar.org <service@americanbar.org>; Questions@dhe.state.co.us <questions@dhe.state.co.us>; gjohnson@osrhe.edu <gjohnson@osrhe.edu>; sheeo@sheeo.org <sheeo@sheeo.org>; EDITORS@TEXASOBSERVER.ORG <editors@texasobserver.org>; newsroom@star-telegram.com <newsroom@star-telegram.com>; releases@startribune.com <releases@startribune.com>; oigpublicaffairs2@ed.gov <oigpublicaffairs2@ed.gov>; jim.murphy@house.texas.gov <jim.murphy@house.texas.gov>; philip.cortez@house.texas.gov <philip.cortez@house.texas.gov>; john.frullo@house.texas.gov <john.frullo@house.texas.gov>; sergio.munoz@house.texas.gov <sergio.munoz@house.texas.gov>; evelina.ortega@house.texas.gov <evelina.ortega@house.texas.gov>; tan.parker@house.texas.gov <tan.parker@house.texas.gov>; james.turner@house.texas.gov <james.turner@house.texas.gov>; chris.turner@house.texas.gov <chris.turner@house.texas.gov>; john.turner@house.texas.gov <john.turner@house.texas.gov>; john.raney@house.texas.gov <john.raney@house.texas.gov>; lois.kolkhorst@senate.texas.gov <lois.kolkhorst@senate.texas.gov>; Robert Kepple <robert.kepple@tdcaa.com>; brandon.creighton@senate.texas.gov <brandon.creighton@senate.texas.gov>; royce.west@senate.texas.gov <royce.west@senate.texas.gov>; cesar.blanco@senate.texas.gov <cesar.blanco@senate.texas.gov>; borris.miles@senate.texas.gov <borris.miles@senate.texas.gov>; Drew Springer <drew.springer@senate.texas.gov>; larry.taylor@senate.texas.gov <larry.taylor@senate.texas.gov>; judith.zaffirini@senate.texas.gov <judith.zaffirini@senate.texas.gov>; upres@umn.edu <upres@umn.edu>; ago@state.ma.us <ago@state.ma.us>; uheaa@utahsbr.edu <uheaa@utahsbr.edu>; infocenter@lcms.org <infocenter@lcms.org>; wwsdean@princeton.edu <wwsdean@princeton.edu>; Mallory Hart <mallory.hart@house.texas.gov>; district51.rodriguez@house.texas.gov <district51.rodriguez@house.texas.gov>; district46.cole@house.texas.gov <district46.cole@house.texas.gov>; APD Officer James Turner <james.turner@austintexas.gov>; Jason Laduque <jason.laduque@austintexas.gov>; james.talarico@house.texas.gov <james.talarico@house.texas.gov>; donna.campbell@senate.texas.gov <donna.campbell@senate.texas.gov>; dawn.buckingham@senate.texas.gov <dawn.buckingham@senate.texas.gov>; cr@ed.gov <cr@ed.gov>; editorial@progressive.org <editorial@progressive.org>; tips@buzzfeed.com <tips@buzzfeed.com>; scoops@huffpost.com <scoops@huffpost.com>; APD Chief Joseph Chacon 2021 <joseph.chacon@austintexas.gov>; nicole.collier@house.texas.gov <nicole.collier@house.texas.gov>; joan.huffman@senate.texas.gov <joan.huffman@senate.texas.gov>; Rep. Erin Zwiener (2019CentralTX) <erin.zwiener@house.texas.gov>; vikki.goodwin@house.texas.gov <vikki.goodwin@house.texas.gov>; info@klru.org <info@klru.org>; newsroom@mpr.org <newsroom@mpr.org>; alex.gersewski@ok.state.gov <alex.gersewski@ok.state.gov>; alex.gerszewski@oag.ok.gov <alex.gerszewski@oag.ok.gov>; tacupaorganization@gmail.com <tacupaorganization@gmail.com>; trustees@tacc.org <trustees@tacc.org>; webmaster@tacc.org <webmaster@tacc.org>; texaspolitics@mail.laits.utexas.edu <texaspolitics@mail.laits.utexas.edu>; jsmith@taccho.org <jsmith@taccho.org>; Austin Regional Clinic 2021 <annieaustin@austinregionalclinic.com>; Ann Howard <ann.howard@traviscountytx.gov>; Austin Intergovernmental Relations 2021 <brie.franco@austintexas.gov>; IGR <igr@traviscountytx.gov>; tracy.martinez@dps.texas.gov <tracy.martinez@dps.texas.gov>; webmaster@demodrats.org <webmaster@demodrats.org>; info@mittromney.com <info@mittromney.com>; mccormack@gradschool.umb.edu <mccormack@gradschool.umb.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2021, 10:27:17 PM CDT
Subject: FYI: THECB's 10-14-21 letter to OAG re: my recent PIR cites Atty-Client Privilege, 'Deliberative Process Privilege'
A respectful FYI to each of you on the following verbatim text (below) of the October 14, 2021, signed legal letter that the Very Honorable General Counsel for the Texas Higher Education Board (THECB) state agency in Austin, Ms. Nichole Bunker-Henderson, wrote and sent today to the Attorney General of Texas state agency.
That legal letter seeks official permission from the Attorney General's Office in Austin to withhold from me numerous legal documents responsive to my recent public information request to the THECB here in Austin. The official date of receipt cited by the THECB on that request of mine is September 23, 2021. I myself had e-mailed that request to the THECB on the night of August 31, 2021.
My August 31, 2021-dated public-information request of mine to the THECB in Austin had sought "a copy of any and all letters, e-mail letters, reports, memoranda, or other written communications referring to myself at least once in any manner, and that in each such case were written, received, sent, forwarded, mailed, or FAXed at any time since April 1, 2011, by any staff member or attorney or administrator of your state agency's Office of General Counsel here in Austin."
Best Wishes,
from public-information requestor John Kevin McMillan, an alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin; The University of Minnesota Graduate School of Journalism and Mass Communications in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Stephen F. Austin High School of Austin Independent School District in Austin, Texas.
My solo-occupancy efficiency rental-apartment unit home address ever since June 21, 2019:
Pebble Creek Apartments, 8805 North Plaza Drive, Building 17, Apt. 2418, Austin, TX 78753.
Home phone: (512) 342-2295.
Cell phone: (512) 993-7305.
_________________________________________________
HARRISON KELLER, PH.D.
Commissioner of Higher Education
512.427.6101
NICHOLE BUNKER-HENDERSON
General Counsel
512.427.6297
Nichole.Bunker-Henderson@highered.texas.gov
LESLI G. GATTIS
Deputy General Counsel
512.427.6143
Lesli.Gattis@highered.texas.gov
Fax: 512.427.6127
Website: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us
THE STATE OF TEXAS
TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD
OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL
P.O. Box 12788
Austin, Texas 78711
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
October 14, 2021
Justin Gordon, Chief
Open Records Division
Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711
Re: OAG Tracking ID OR-92018921; THECB PIR 2022-09 (JMcMillan)
Dear Mr. Gordon:
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) received the attached and above-referenced request for information on September 23, 2021. Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act (PIA), the THECB submitted an initial request for an Attorney General decision. The THECB now submits written comments pertaining to the applicable exceptions as well as a representative sample of responsive documents subject to said exceptions.
THECB seeks to withhold certain information and documents from the requestor as they are excepted from disclosure under the PIA and/or confidential by law pursuant to Tex. Gov’t Code § 552.107.
Unless otherwise indicated, citations below are to the PIA, Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code.
Attorney-Client Communications - § 552.107 (Attorney-Client Privilege)
The responsive information includes internal attorney-client communications related to the THECB’s work in this matter, beyond mere factual information or routine administrative matters. This information should be excepted from disclosure to protect the attorney-client privileged recognized in Texas common law. The communications at issue are sent to or received from the agency’s legal counsel about what and whether response is legally required in response to external communications. This privilege is recognized by Texas law as compelling in that it “the privilege shields confidential information from third parties whose litigation or business interests are adverse to the public’s interest, promotes a culture that incentivizes governmental bodies to seek legal advice, and allows the free flow of information between attorney and client without fear of compelled public disclosure.” Paxton v. City of Dallas, 509 S.W.3d 247, 264-65 (Tex. 2017). A representative sample is attached as Attachment A.
Intra-agency Communications - § 552.111 (Deliberative Process Privilege)
The responsive information includes internal draft documents, memoranda, and communications related to the THECB’s policy-making function, beyond mere factual information or routine administrative matters. This information should be excepted from disclosure to protect frank and open discussion among agency staff, in furtherance of the THECB’s policy considerations and mission. The communications reflect communications from members of the agency’s leadership team about what and whether response is required to external communications apart from the advice provided by legal counsel on the matter. A representative sample is attached as Attachment B.
THECB will produce information and documents that are responsive and not confidential or exempt from disclosure to the requestor in a timely manner. By copy of this letter, the requestor is advised of THECB’s specific grounds underlying its request for a letter ruling to permit THECB to withhold certain information.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Very Truly Yours,
(Signature of Nichole Bunker-Henderson)
Nichole Bunker-Henderson
General Counsel
Nichole.Bunker-Henderson@highered.texas.gov
Attachment: Copy of request for information
Cc (w/o attachments): John Kevin McMillan, mcmillanj@att.net (Requestor)
John Kevin McMillan
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