Deborah Fisher, Author at Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

13 Apr, 2021

Utility boards continue push to allow phone-in votes; other bills allowing electronic meetings also on tap

By Deborah Fisher|2021-04-13T09:05:26-05:00April 13, 2021|Categories: Legislature, Open Meetings|Tags: COVID-19, electronic meetings, utility boards|0 Comments

A bill that would allow members of hundreds of utility boards across the state to phone into a public meeting and cast their votes is scheduled to go before the House State Government Committee today. State Rep. Clark Boyd It is one of three pieces of legislation expected to be heard this week that seeks to lift requirements of state law and expand the ability of members of public governing bodies to participate and vote in public meetings electronically without having to attend in person. The three pieces of legislation have differing levels of standards and requirements for remote participation by governing bodies, but all appear to have [...]

2 Apr, 2021

Bill to allow local utility boards to end in-person public meetings moves forward

By Deborah Fisher|2021-04-04T16:03:21-05:00April 2, 2021|Categories: Legislature, Open Meetings|Tags: electronic meetings, State Rep. Clark Boyd, utilities|0 Comments

The House Public Service Subcommittee passed a bill last week that would permit hundreds of local utility boards that govern rates for electric, water, gas and other public services to stop meeting in person if they choose. The bill, HB 509, will be heard next week by the House State Government Committee at its 1:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday in the Cordell Hull building in Nashville. The bill has the potential to open the door for local governing bodies to start conducting meetings all electronically and casting votes on key issues by phone outside the public eye. Sponsor Clark Boyd, R-Lebanon, told the committee that the intention is to allow a [...]

21 Mar, 2021

Legislation would allow property owners to contest appraisals electronically

By Deborah Fisher|2021-03-21T20:24:13-05:00March 21, 2021|Categories: Legislature, Open Meetings|Tags: appraisals, boards of equalization, electronic meetings, property owners, State Rep. Kevin Vaughn, State Sen Paul Rose|0 Comments

To protest the county's appraised value of your property, you have to show up in person before a county board of equalization and make your case to the board members in person. Many people do this when their home's value has been increased by the county's appraiser, resulting in a higher tax bill. They often complain that the value assessed is not the true value, and that it should be lower. The law allows, but does not require, boards of equalization to allow the taxpayer to make his or her complaint to the board by electronic means in the discretion of the board. HB230 and SB436 seek to change that [...]

21 Mar, 2021

Bill closes information about reported crimes involving minors on school property

By Deborah Fisher|2021-04-15T12:17:04-05:00March 21, 2021|Categories: crime records, Legislature|Tags: crime records, juveniles, State Rep. Ryan Williams, student records|0 Comments

Proposed legislation that would make confidential law enforcement records of incidents on school property involving a minor passed the House State Government Committee on Tuesday. The bill is scheduled to be heard by the House Government Operations Committee on Monday afternoon. HB 368 arose from a situation in Putnam County after an incident involving two minors at a school, state Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, told the House State Government Committee on Wednesday. (See video of testimony and questions about the bill, including testimony from TCOG.) Though the incident did not result in any charges, a parent of one of the minors sought to get the law enforcement records related to [...]

21 Mar, 2021

Bill that closes information on arrest records moves to House committee with amendment

By Deborah Fisher|2021-03-21T19:51:15-05:00March 21, 2021|Categories: crime records, Legislature|Tags: arrest records, Glen Casada|0 Comments

Legislation that would make confidential an arrestee's home address on an arrest record was approved by the House Public Service Subcommittee last week. HB 901, sponsored by state Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin, was amended to make clear that the street address of a reported crime would not be confidential, even if it was the arrestee's home address. (TCOG asked for that change.) The original bill also made confidential any video of the person arrested, but an amendment removed this provision. (Here is a copy of the amendment). The amendment also makes confidential the phone number of a person arrested, and the social security number. The social security number already is [...]

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