Open Meetings Archives - Page 11 of 28 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

29 Apr, 2020

TCOG joins open meetings lawsuit against Registry of Election Finance board over email vote

By Deborah Fisher|2020-05-09T13:11:31-05:00April 29, 2020|Categories: open meetings lawsuits, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: attorney-client privilege, Bill Young, email vote, Registry of Election Finance, Tennessee Attorney General, Tom Lawless|1 Comment

In an effort to uphold the Open Meetings Act, the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government today joined news media organizations, journalists and press associations in filing an open meetings lawsuit against the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. See lawsuit here. (Read: Media groups sue campaign finance board over email vote, contend violation of open meetings law - By Joel Ebert, The Tennessean, Tennessee media groups, watchdog sue over vote by email - By Travis Loller, AP, Reporters Committee group files lawsuit over Towns decision - By Sam Stockard, The Daily Memphian.) On the evening of April 1, the election finance board took an email vote in secret to reduce by [...]

29 Apr, 2020

Electronic meetings survey: We need your observations!

By Deborah Fisher|2020-05-09T13:12:54-05:00April 29, 2020|Categories: Open Meetings, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: COVID-19, electronic meetings|0 Comments

Knoxville City Council using Zoom on March 24, 2020. Tennessee Coalition for Open Government is collecting information on how governing bodies have conducted meetings during COVID-19, including electronic meetings. What went well? What didn't? And how can things be improved? Governor Bill Lee on March 20 issued Executive Order No. 16, temporarily suspending the requirement that members of a governing body gather a quorum of members physically present at the same location to conduct business. It allowed governing bodies to instead meet by electronic means in light of the COVID-19 outbreak so long as they provided live access, or a clear audio or video recording afterward. The order expires on [...]

10 Apr, 2020

Campaign finance board’s secret email votes could set dangerous precedent

By Deborah Fisher|2020-05-09T13:18:35-05:00April 10, 2020|Categories: Open Meetings, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Bill Young, email vote, Registry of Election Finance|1 Comment

It's been more than a week since the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance Board voted secretly by email to reduce the civil penalties against a Memphis state representative by more than $44,000 in a last-minute decision to try to clear him to file for re-election. The vote appears to violate the Open Meetings law, which says: "All votes of any such governmental body shall be by public vote or public ballot or public roll call. No secret votes, or secret ballots, or secret roll calls shall be allowed." [T.C.A. 8-44-104(b)] State Rep. Joe Towns, D-Memphis, had accumulated $65,000 in civil penalties for failing to file campaign finance disclosures over several [...]

30 Mar, 2020

TN County Services Association and TN Municipal League urge maintaining transparency during COVID-19

By Deborah Fisher|2020-05-09T13:21:55-05:00March 30, 2020|Categories: Open Meetings, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: COVID-19, electronic meetings, Tennessee County Services Association, Tennessee Municipal League|0 Comments

Two of the largest government associations in Tennessee last week issued guidance and suggestions to its members, urging them to maintain government openness and transparency during the COVID-19 crisis. The Tennessee County Services Association and Tennessee Municipal League in its letter explained the Governor's Executive Order. No. 16 allowing for electronic meetings. David Connor, executive director of Tennessee County Services Association. Chad Jenkins, deputy director, Tennessee Municipal League The letter from the government associations encouraged cities and counties "to make every effort to allow the public some way to access the meeting through a live audio or video stream" but if not able to do this, to make sure a [...]

24 Mar, 2020

Governing bodies across Tennessee begin Facebook Live, Zoom, live broadcasts

By Deborah Fisher|2020-05-09T13:23:35-05:00March 24, 2020|Categories: Open Meetings|Tags: COVID-19, electronic meetings|1 Comment

Hickman County Mayor Mark Bentley welcomed all viewers on Facebook Live and promised to have the video taped and available on the website the next day, which it was. Governing bodies across Tennessee are entering into a week of meetings and business regarding the COVID-19 emergency with a new challenge. They are allowed by the Governor's Executive Order 16 to meet electronically, so long as they provide electronic access to the public. TCOG is getting reports of various approaches. The Knoxville City Council, for example, plans to meet today using Zoom, where all members of the Council can connect from home with their computer audio and video. They haven't yet [...]