A new law requires all law enforcement in Tennessee to make monthly reports to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on the use of force. The data will include information from any police action resulting in death or serious bodily injury to a person or the discharge of a firearm at or in the direction of a person.
In the last redistricting a decade ago, citizens in Tennessee had about one week to review proposed new legislative maps before they were adopted. That's not enough time. The maps should be made available earlier so that citizens can review them and offer feedback before they are a done deal. [...]
A new law that went into effect in late April will allow government officials to seek relief in court from people who use the public records process with an intent to disrupt government operations. The bill was aimed at curbing public records requests from so-called "bad actors." [...]
Although lawmakers introduced several bills in the Tennessee Legislature this year to expand the ability of governing bodies to conduct electronic meetings without members having to be there in person, none passed. Of the nine bills tracked by TCOG, six failed or stalled. The other three were modified to keep the status quo on electronic participation and not expand it. The Open Meetings Act already allows members of state boards to participate in meetings electronically under certain conditions and rules. These rules are found in Section 108 of the Open Meetings Act. Members of school boards are also allowed to participate in meetings electronically within certain limits. Bill would have [...]
When citizens go to a public meeting of their local board of aldermen or county commission, they expect their representatives to be there. Sen. Richard Brigg, R-Knoxville They expect their representatives to discuss issues in public and vote in public. They expect to look them in the eye when they address them during public comment periods and public hearings. They hope to be able to talk to their representatives before and after a meeting, and many do. But a bill that passed a key Senate committee in a 5-4 vote last night would chip away at that tradition. SB301 would allow members of county and municipal governing bodies, [...]