Tennessee Coalition for Open Government is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for transparency in government. We’ve been around since 2003 helping people with public records and open meetings issues.
The Hamblen County Commission has decided to exclude the public comments from the videotape of its meetings, which is shown on a public education channel.
Linda Noe, an attorney in Morristown, posted on her blog her own video of the meeting in which she questioned commissioners about the decision.
In the video, County Mayor Bill Brittain responds to a question from a commissioner about telling the videographer to turn off the equipment when the public comments portion of the meeting started, saying it was “in the best interest of the meeting.”
Later, the commission chairman says that not taping the public comments was a “compromise” to ending the videotaping of the meeting altogether.
We invite you to get involved. Donate and become a member! We rely on donations from people like you to fund our work. No matter how small, every donation counts.
Deborah Fisher has been executive director of Tennessee Coalition for Open Government since 2013. Previously she spent 25 years in the news industry as a journalist.
Hamblen County decides to exclude public comments from videotape
The Hamblen County Commission has decided to exclude the public comments from the videotape of its meetings, which is shown on a public education channel.
Linda Noe, an attorney in Morristown, posted on her blog her own video of the meeting in which she questioned commissioners about the decision.
In the video, County Mayor Bill Brittain responds to a question from a commissioner about telling the videographer to turn off the equipment when the public comments portion of the meeting started, saying it was “in the best interest of the meeting.”
Later, the commission chairman says that not taping the public comments was a “compromise” to ending the videotaping of the meeting altogether.
Read Noe’s full blog item here: Mayor Brittain Directs That Tapes of Commission Meetings Be Censored To Remove Public Comments
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We invite you to get involved. Donate and become a member! We rely on donations from people like you to fund our work. No matter how small, every donation counts.
About the Author: Deborah Fisher
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