requests Archives - Page 3 of 11 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

8 May, 2019

Tennessee Tech Trustees say students IDs not sufficient for public records requests

By Deborah Fisher|2019-05-08T07:49:14-05:00May 8, 2019|Categories: requests|Tags: identification, public records request, Tennessee Tech|0 Comments

Tennessee Tech trustees rejected a request from journalism students to use their student identification card to prove they lived in Tennessee for purposes of making a public records request. However, trustees refused to change their policy, but said they would allow out-of-state students without a Tennessee driver's license to show a utility bill, such as from their dorm or apartment, to prove their Tennessee residency. The students had gathered a petition with 150 signatures from students and faculty to change the policy after out-of-state students who worked for the student newspaper were denied access to public records. From left: Chairman Tom Jones, Trustee Johnny Stites, Tennessee Tech University President Phil [...]

17 Apr, 2019

Bill to punish “harassing” public records requesters delayed until first calendars in 2020

By Deborah Fisher|2019-04-17T12:48:30-05:00April 17, 2019|Categories: adequate public notice, Legislature, requests|Tags: harassment, public records request, State Rep. William Lamberth, State Sen. Ferrell Haile|1 Comment

Proposed legislation that would allow a government entity in Tennessee to get an injunction to stop public records requesters whose requests constituted "harassment" has been delayed until next year. The bills, Senate Bill 590 and House Bill 626, sought to allow government entities to stop a public records requester from making further requests if a judge found the requests to be made "in a manner that would cause a reasonable person, including a records custodian or any staff of the public entity in control of the public records, to be seriously abused, intimidated, threatened, or harassed." The bills' sponsors, Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland, and Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, offered different [...]

14 Nov, 2018

Questions about photography ban, ID requirement prompts committee to stop agency’s public records rules

By Deborah Fisher|2018-11-16T12:17:04-06:00November 14, 2018|Categories: requests, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: identification, photos of public records, public records policies, State Rep. Bo Mitchell, State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, State Rep. Jeremy Faison, State Sen. Janice Bowling, State Sen. Mark Pody, State Sen. Mike Bell, State Sen. Rusty Crowe|1 Comment

The Joint Government Operations Committee voted today to ask the Department of Financial Institutions to hold a public hearing on its rules related to public records requests after questions about the agency's proposed ban on photography of records and the requirement of a Tennessee driver's license or photo ID to inspect or get copies of records. Some committee members said that hearing public records rules of state agencies during the rule-making process this year has prompted them to believe changes to the public records act are due. The Department of Financial Institutions is one of many state agencies going through the rule-making process related to public records access. All state [...]

16 Aug, 2018

State agencies in full swing establishing public records rules

By Deborah Fisher|2020-11-19T12:34:36-06:00August 16, 2018|Categories: fees, requests|Tags: Bureau of Workers' Compensation, citizen id, Department of General Services, Department of Revenue, Department of Safety and Homeland Security, fees for public records, photos of public records, public records rules, rulemaking hearings, TennCare, Tennessee Housing Development Agency|0 Comments

If you are journalist or citizen who makes public records requests to state agencies, now is the time to pay attention to the public records rules being developed regarding that access. I've listed the agency email addresses and deadlines to submit below. Two state agencies have already held hearings and (and finished soliciting written comments) for their proposed rules: the Department of Transportation and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Coming up are: Aug. 30, Bureau of Workers' Compensation in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development Sept. 18, Tenncare Sept. 24, Department of Revenue Sept. 24, Department of Safety and Homeland Security Sept. 28, Tennessee Housing [...]

16 Aug, 2018

Why requiring a driver’s license to look at public records is often a waste of time and money

By Deborah Fisher|2018-08-17T16:26:29-05:00August 16, 2018|Categories: requests|Tags: citizen id, public records requests|0 Comments

Requiring a driver's license as an unbending condition to access public records is like hunting dragonflies with a shotgun. It’s overkill. And a little silly. Requiring a citizen to produce identification is almost always unnecessary yet it most certainly increases the chance that access to public records will be delayed. It also is a rule that is easy for a government official to abuse to blunt prompt access to public information. The law clearly does not require that a government entity require that a citizen provide identification proving who they are to access public records. The law allows that a government entity may require proof of Tennessee residency, presumably because [...]

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