photos of public records Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

19 Oct, 2017

League of Women Voters of Tennessee asks Open Records Counsel to allow common sense use of everyday technology

By Deborah Fisher|2017-12-06T08:08:11-06:00October 19, 2017|Categories: Public Records|Tags: League of Women Voters, photos of public records|1 Comment

The League of Women Voters of Tennessee has submitted a letter to Open Records Counsel Lee Pope, saying it was dismayed by the Office's interpretation of the state's public records laws that is encouraging governments to ban the use of cell phones to make copies of public records. The League, which has a seat on the Advisory Committee on Open Government that was set up to advise the Open Records Counsel, has chapters throughout the state. The letter was written by its president, Marian Ott. The Oct. 13. letter: RE: Policy Banning Photos of Public Records Dear Mr. Pope, The League of Women Voters of Tennessee was dismayed by your [...]

19 Oct, 2017

Tennessee Press Association calls on Open Records Counsel to ease ban on taking photos of public records

By Deborah Fisher|2017-10-19T16:45:02-05:00October 19, 2017|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel, Public Records|Tags: Advisory Committee on Open Government, Jack McElroy, Lee Pope, photos of public records, Tennessee Press Association|0 Comments

The Tennessee Press Association, writing on behalf of its 125 member newspapers, has requested that the Office of Open Records Counsel update its Model Public Records Policy to reflect that government entities "cannot ban carte blanche the taking of pictures of public records by cell phone cameras." Lee Pope, the state's new Open Records Counsel. The office, which was created by the Legislature in 2008 to provide educational outreach on the public records laws, included in its Model Public Records Policy this model language, with a choice for government entities: A requestor will [not] be allowed to make copies of records with personal equipment. [Indicate under what circumstances, [...]

11 Oct, 2017

Resource: The state law that gives citizens the right to make photographs of public records

By Deborah Fisher|2017-10-11T08:36:01-05:00October 11, 2017|Categories: Public Records|Tags: photos of public records|1 Comment

I often get questions from citizens about whether a government entity can prohibit them from taking a picture of a public record. Often the person just wants to use their cell phone instead of copying down into their notebook, word for word, what is in the government document. Sometimes the law gets ignored or flouted. So I've copied and pasted the law here about making photographs of public records. You may need to print it out and give it to the custodian to help educate them. Remember, the law trumps a local policy or practice. T.C.A. 10-7-506 (a) In all cases where any person has the right to inspect any [...]

4 Oct, 2017

TCOG urges Office of Open Records Counsel to update guidance on taking photos of public records

By Deborah Fisher|2017-10-04T07:18:04-05:00October 4, 2017|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel, Public Records, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Adam Yeomans, Advisory Committee on Open Government, Lee Pope, Office of Open Records Counsel, photos of public records|0 Comments

Tennessee Coalition for Open Government has urged the Office of Open Records Counsel to update its Model Public Records Policy and take quick action to stem a growing problem of government entities who are preventing citizens from taking photos of government records. See a copy of the TCOG's letter here: Taking photos of public records - Letter to Office of Open Records Counsel, 10-3-17. The letter was sent to Open Records Counsel Lee Pope from Adam Yeomans, who is vice president of TCOG's board of directors and its representative on the Advisory Committee on Open Government. The advisory committee is a 14-member group appointed by the Comptroller that provides advice to [...]

20 Sep, 2017

State agencies urged by committee chair to allow photos of public records

By Deborah Fisher|2017-09-21T08:24:06-05:00September 20, 2017|Categories: Legislature, Public Records|Tags: legislature, Office of Open Records Counsel, photos of public records, State Rep. Jeremy Faison, State Sen. Mike Bell|2 Comments

(Updated 9-21-17 with quotes from the meeting, and more background on the development of the Model Public Records policy that allows government entities to ban photography.) Three state agencies were instructed to re-examine their public records policies that prohibit citizens from taking photos of public records during a meeting of the Joint Government Operations Committee meeting today. State Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville State Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, the Senate chairman of the committee, asked the Comptroller's Office, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to review their policies to allow citizens to use technology, like their cell phone, to take photos of public records. [...]

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