State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn filed a lawsuit against state Attorney General Greg Abbott.

The lawsuit involves Abbott's decision that Strayhorn must turn over state employee birth dates under the Freedom of Information Act.

The question arose in November, when the Dallas Morning News asked the comptroller's office for a database of state employees—including names, job titles, salaries, and birth dates.

The office responded that it would provide most of the data, but asked Abbott whether it had to release birth dates. Abbott's office responded that the birth dates must be disclosed.

Strayhorn said that could make the employees vulnerable to identity theft.

Joel White, a lawyer and past president of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, said that birth dates have nothing to do with identity theft.