Deborah Fisher, Author at Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

14 Jun, 2024

Nashville journalist Adam Sichko reveals state’s secret Amazon incentive — 5 years later
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Nashville journalist Adam Sichko reveals state’s secret Amazon incentive — 5 years later

economic development

Nashville journalist Adam Sichko reveals state’s secret Amazon incentive — 5 years later

By Deborah Fisher|2024-06-14T08:23:17-05:00June 14, 2024|Categories: economic development|Tags: Adam Sichko, Amazon, Bob Rolfe, ECD, economic development records, Nashville Business Journal|0 Comments

You've got to hand it to Adam Sichko, a senior reporter with the Nashville Business Journal. Five years ago, Amazon was shopping the country for a new headquarters location that promised 50,000 jobs and a $5 billion corporate investment. Which state and city would give them the most incentives (money)? But the state invoked a law that allowed it to keep what it thought was "sensitive" information confidential for five years. Well, that five years were up this year, and Sichko got the records.

13 Jun, 2024

Judge Myles goes after press for publishing information from leaked documents in Covenant case
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Judge Myles goes after press for publishing information from leaked documents in Covenant case

crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee

Judge Myles goes after press for publishing information from leaked documents in Covenant case

By Deborah Fisher|2024-06-13T21:44:57-05:00June 13, 2024|Categories: crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Chancellor I'Ashea Myles, Michael Patrick Leahy, prior restraint, The Covenant School shooting, The Tennessee Star|0 Comments

Davidson County Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles is going after the press for publishing information from leaked documents from the police investigative file of the Covenant case involving the 2023 school shooting. Specifically, on Monday she ordered Michael Patrick Leahy, editor and owner of the online Tennessee Star, to appear in court on the next Monday, June 17, to explain why his publication of information from leaked documents on his website does not violate her orders and why Leahy should not be held in contempt and sanctioned.

21 May, 2024

Lawmakers retain public inspection of autopsy reports of minors, but prohibit release of copies
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Lawmakers retain public inspection of autopsy reports of minors, but prohibit release of copies

crime records, Legislature

Lawmakers retain public inspection of autopsy reports of minors, but prohibit release of copies

By Deborah Fisher|2024-05-21T10:12:48-05:00May 21, 2024|Categories: crime records, Legislature|Tags: autopsy reports, crime victims, minors, Rebecca Alexander, State Rep. William Lamberth, State Sen. Shane Reeves, The Covenant School shooting|0 Comments

A contentious bill to close autopsy reports of minors whose cause of death is listed as a homicide ended up with a compromise: Copies cannot be released but a person can still inspect such reports in person. The bill was first introduced in the special session called by the governor in the wake of the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville in which six people were killed, including three children. The parents of at least one of the children was deeply alarmed that the autopsy report of her child could be released to the public. The bill got stuck in the Senate during the special session and was reintroduced in 2024. It passed with the amendment, a compromise sought by TCOG and news media organizations.

3 May, 2024

Improper use of public records not a reason for sanction, appeals court says
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Improper use of public records not a reason for sanction, appeals court says

public records lawsuits Tennessee

Improper use of public records not a reason for sanction, appeals court says

By Deborah Fisher|2024-05-03T11:59:13-05:00May 3, 2024|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Connie Reguli, Court of Appeals, Judge Jeffery Usman, Judge Joseph A. Woodruff, Mayor Rogers Anderson, public records lawsuit, Rule 11 sanctions, Williamson County|0 Comments

Beleaguered Brentwood attorney Connie Reguli may have done many things wrong, but filing a public records request for county billing records wasn't one of them. The Court of Appeals on May 2 overturned a Williamson County judge's sanctions against Reguli who was concerned she would use the records to lobby against continued taxpayer funding of the legal defense of a former county employee accused of sexual assault.

2 May, 2024

Carter County school board leaves off its agenda its vote to close elementary school
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Carter County school board leaves off its agenda its vote to close elementary school

adequate public notice, school boards

Carter County school board leaves off its agenda its vote to close elementary school

By Deborah Fisher|2024-05-02T15:02:05-05:00May 2, 2024|Categories: adequate public notice, school boards|Tags: adequate notice, agendas, Carter County, special called meeting|0 Comments

The Carter County School Board voted 6-1 to close an elementary school in a special called meeting on April 25, but didn't let the public know in advance in its meeting notice. This likely violates the law's requirements for public notice for special called meetings, which requires a governing body to reasonably describe the purpose of the meeting and the action to be taken. The school board's notice had only one action item: to adopt the next year's budget.

tennessee

About Deborah Fisher

Nashville journalist Adam Sichko reveals state’s secret Amazon incentive — 5 years later

Judge Myles goes after press for publishing information from leaked documents in Covenant case

Lawmakers retain public inspection of autopsy reports of minors, but prohibit release of copies

Improper use of public records not a reason for sanction, appeals court says

Carter County school board leaves off its agenda its vote to close elementary school