Charles Blain, president of Urban Reform, said navigating legal jargon and state statutes without an attorney is challenging, as authorities often withhold requested public information by citing work product, attorney-client privilege, or proprietary data, or appealing to the attorney general's office. Blain was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.

“You can kind of sort through this stuff and read it yourself," said Blain on a recent edition of the Texas Talks Podcast. “Whereas some people, you know, can't unless they get an attorney. They have to look at all this legal jargon, and try to figure out which state statute gives them the authority to withhold public information.”

“They argue that they're work products and that work products are not subject to release. Or they argue that it's attorney-client privilege and that's usually if I'm requesting anything that has anything to do with the city attorney," said Blain. “So that's a huge broad brush because if it's the city attorney interacting with any city employee, it's a quote-unquote attorney-client privilege. Or if it's something dealing with a vendor and procurement or purchasing, they will argue that they can't release information because of proprietary data. There are a lot of different areas in which they will appeal to the attorney general's office to withhold information."

Blain, President of Urban Reform and Urban Reform Institute, focuses on free market solutions to urban issues and expanding opportunities in metropolitan areas across America. He has been published in major outlets like the Wall Street Journal and Forbes and regularly appears as a political commentator on Fox 26 Houston's What’s Your Point.

Texas Talks podcast is hosted by Brad Swail. The weekly show is focused on public policy in the state of Texas, with insights from the people and organizations that influence it.

The podcast is available on Simple Cast and YouTube.