Open Meetings Archives - Page 5 of 28 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

7 Apr, 2022

Three bills improving open government laws clear House and Senate

By Deborah Fisher|2022-04-08T06:05:19-05:00April 7, 2022|Categories: crime records, Legislature, Open Meetings, requests|Tags: deaths in custody, electronic meetings, jails, prisons, public records requests, State Rep. Jeremy Faison, State Rep. Tim Rudd, State Sen. Kerry Roberts, State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, website|0 Comments

Three bills that improve open government have cleared both the House and Senate. One will improve the transparency of public meetings of hundreds of state boards and commissions. Another brings more transparency to deaths that occur in local jails and state prisons. And the third clarifies language in the public records law that sometimes causes confusion over ID requirements and the responsibility of government to search for records.

11 Feb, 2022

Open government bills to watch in 2022

By Deborah Fisher|2022-02-11T12:50:29-06:00February 11, 2022|Categories: fees, Legislature, Open Meetings|Tags: body cameras, death in custody, electronic meetings, fees for public records|0 Comments

We are monitoring several bills during the 2022 legislative session, including a bill that would create new fees to inspect public records.

28 Jan, 2022

Amended bill removes reference to social media platform for posting meeting notices

By Deborah Fisher|2022-01-28T14:53:32-06:00January 28, 2022|Categories: adequate public notice, Legislature|Tags: adequate public notice, Maury County, Rep. Scott Cepicky|0 Comments

A bill that proposed allowing county legislative bodies to satisfy the public notice laws by posting notice of public meetings on a "social media platform" was amended this week in a House subcommittee to remove the mention of social media platforms.

28 Dec, 2021

Let the people speak at public meetings

By Deborah Fisher|2023-02-20T10:17:24-06:00December 28, 2021|Categories: Open Meetings, public comment|Tags: First Amendment, public comment|0 Comments

Governing bodies such as school boards and county commissions should be careful about their rules on public comment. They may regulate the public comment period to protect the safety and the orderly flow of a meeting. But barring someone just because they are critical or express antagonistic views violates free speech rights and is repressive.

19 Jul, 2021

6th Circuit says school board’s public comment rules violate First Amendment

By Deborah Fisher|2023-02-20T10:16:43-06:00July 19, 2021|Categories: Open Meetings, public comment|Tags: 6th Circuit, First Amendment, free speech, public comment, public meetings|1 Comment

A citizen cannot be thrown out of a public meeting simply because he or she offends, antagonizes or harshly criticizes a governing body or members of a governing body during public comment period, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals said this month.