TEXAS HIGHER ED OPEN GOVERNMENT CHALLENGE

HARPER-BROWN JOINS COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO ANNOUNCE START OF TEXAS HIGHER ED OPEN GOVERNMENT CHALLENGE
AUSTIN, TX (Asiaworldmedia.com) – On Monday, Representative Linda Harper-Brown (Irving) along with Texas House Committee on Government Efficiency and Reform Chairman Bill Callegari (Katy) and Vice Chairman Eddie Lucio III (San Benito) announced the open of the Texas Higher Ed Open Government Challenge, a special project within the Texas Red Tape Challenge crowd sourcing site. The Higher Ed Open Government Challenge invites students and researchers at Texas’ graduate-level public policy and public administration schools to offer their ideas on how to improve the state’s open government policies and programs.
“This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for graduate students focused in the area of public policy to offer their recommendations on how we can improve state government’s transparency, accountability, and efficiency,” said Chairman Callegari. “Just as students may gain valuable experience by participating in this Challenge, the Legislature may gain valuable, meaningful insights on how to improve Texas government.” Between September 24th and October 31st, the Texas Higher Ed Open Government Challenge will introduce specific open government-related policies and programs for participants’ consideration every two weeks. The first two focus areas posted for the Challenge include public notice of rule making and rules, and the rule making and regulatory negotiation processes. Participants are asked to contribute their ideas on how these statutes may be reformed, streamlined, or otherwise modernized as a way to improve state government transparency, accountability, and efficiency. Just as participants in this Challenge are asked to share their own ideas, they are encouraged to collaborate with others on ideas offered within the crowd sourcing platform. This includes discussing the ramifications of a given idea, including potential costs and savings as well as the unintended consequences. “We have already received amazing feedback through the Texas Red Tape Challenge website, ” remarked Harper-Brown. “I hope that this trend will continue with the opening of the Texas Higher Ed Open Government Challenge.”