Deborah Fisher, Author at Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

7 Mar, 2019

Bill aimed at reducing solicitation of traffic accidents set for hearings this week

By Deborah Fisher|2020-04-09T09:11:00-05:00March 7, 2019|Categories: Legislature|Tags: traffic accidents reports|0 Comments

House and Senate committees are scheduled to hear details of a bill that is aimed at reducing solicitation of victims in traffic accidents by closing information that is now open in traffic accident reports. State Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, represents part of Davidson County. State Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, and state Sen. Becky Massey, R-Knoxville, have filed bills that would create a new exception to the Tennessee Public Records Act and make identifying information about the participants in a traffic accident confidential. Their bill now says that the names, dates of birth, addresses, telephone numbers, driver's license numbers and insurance information on a police accident report would be [...]

7 Mar, 2019

Tennessee lawmakers consider support for requiring TVA to hold open meetings

By Deborah Fisher|2019-06-08T07:26:54-05:00March 7, 2019|Categories: Legislature|Tags: State Sen. Ken Yager, Tim Burchett, TVA, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen|2 Comments

Tennessee state lawmakers are considering a resolution to express support for a bill in Congress that would require TVA's Board of Directors to hold open meetings. State Sen. Ken Yager of Kingston is asking for a Senate resolution to support a bill in Congress to require TVA to hold open meetings that the public can attend. State Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, explained Senate Joint Resolution 192 in a Senate committee meeting this week, in which the resolution won unanimous approval. "We all know, Mr. Chairman, that the TVA is the steward of billions of dollars of ratepayers money," Yager told members of the Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee this week. [...]

7 Mar, 2019

Mom fights for law to allow parents to view school bus video

By Deborah Fisher|2019-03-07T18:36:17-06:00March 7, 2019|Categories: Legislature, schools|Tags: Brooke Wilkerson, FERPA, school bus video, State Rep. Rick Tillis, State Sen. Shane Reeves|3 Comments

Lawmakers will consider a bill next week to allow parents to view school bus video after reports of physical harm, harassment, intimidation or bullying involving their child. Sen. Shane Reeves, R-Murfreesboro, is sponsoring SB 182, after hearing from a Lewisburg mother who faced roadblocks in finding out what happened to her kindergartener on the bus. Brooke Wilkerson, a Lewisburg mom who faced roadblocks in trying to see school bus video after her kindergartener told of her of a "secret tickling game" with a 12-year-old that took place on the bus. Brooke Wilkerson said she was concerned when her young daughter told her about a "secret tickling game" on the [...]

7 Mar, 2019

Confidentiality of government settlements in sexual harassment claims at issue in proposed law

By Deborah Fisher|2019-03-07T11:55:37-06:00March 7, 2019|Categories: exemptions, Legislature|0 Comments

A bill that would allow the identities of victims of sexual harassment and sexual criminal offenses, and possibly other identifying details, to be concealed as part of settlement agreements with the government is going back to a subcommittee for an additional amendment. State Rep. Carson Beck, D-Nashville The bill, HB 594 by state Rep. Carson Beck, D-Nashville, was referred back to the House Civil Justice Subcommittee because of a late-filed amendment. The language in the current bill says: “Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any provision of a settlement agreement entered into be a governmental entity that has the effect of prohibiting the disclosure of details or the [...]

7 Mar, 2019

House subcommittee approves bill to improve vetting of new public records exemptions

By Deborah Fisher|2019-03-07T11:30:00-06:00March 7, 2019|Categories: exemptions, Legislature|Tags: caption bills, exemptions, Open Record Ad Hoc Committee, State Rep. Bob Ramsey, State Rep. Jason Zachary|1 Comment

A House subcommittee approved a bill on Wednesday that would change the way legislation to create new exemptions to the public records law are vetted. The bill, HB86 by state Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, will require House bills that create an exception to the Tennessee Public Records Act to be referred to the House Government Operations Committee for a positive, negative or neutral recommendation. State Rep. Jason Zachary, co-chair of the Open Records Ad Hoc Committee, said in December the task of going through 563 exemptions was too large to get done in five months. Zachary explained any such bill would then go back to the standing committee [...]

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