The next season of Top Chef will be set entirely within Texas, a privilege for which Rick Perry's tourism officials paid the show's producers $400,000. What are Texas taxpayers getting in return for their investment? Top Chef is suing the state to keep you from finding out.

When the Dallas Observer got wind of the state's sizable payment to Top Chef in exchange, presumably, for a flattering portrayal of Texas as a tourist destination, the paper filed a request under Texas' public records laws for a copy of the sponsorship agreement and any other records related to the deal. Perry's office—after a little wavering—actually decided to release them.

But Magical Elves, the production company behind Top Chef, had a different idea. One Monday, the company sued the Texas attorney general, asking a judge to bar release of most of the documents. As the Observer put it:

Top Chef: Texas costs a lot of money to produce. Your taxpayer dollars are helping produce it. We asked the state to tell us how that money would be spent. The state said yes. The state's lawyers said yes. Top Chef said no. Now there's a little fight going on.

[Image via Getty]