Public Records Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

3 Apr, 2025

Metro Nashville Police release report on Covenant School shooting
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Metro Nashville Police release report on Covenant School shooting

crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee

Metro Nashville Police release report on Covenant School shooting

By Deborah Fisher|2025-04-04T13:49:54-05:00April 3, 2025|Categories: crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: copyright, Metro Nashville, police records, The Covenant School shooting|0 Comments

More than two years after a shooter blasted into the Covenant School in Nashville and killed six people, including three third-graders, the Metro Nashville Police Department on April 2 released a 48-page investigative case summary officially announcing the end of the case. Records of shooter's writings collected by police continue to be part of a lawsuit on appeal at the Court of Appeals in which a chancellor ruled copyright prevented their release.

17 Mar, 2025

Public university payments to student athletes to be confidential under proposed bill
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Public university payments to student athletes to be confidential under proposed bill

Legislature, public university records

Public university payments to student athletes to be confidential under proposed bill

By Deborah Fisher|2025-03-17T11:31:35-05:00March 17, 2025|Categories: Legislature, public university records|0 Comments

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports on proposed legislation that will allow public universities in Tennessee to keep confidential money paid to student athletes as part of potential new revenue sharing deals. The bill requires total annualized aggregated amounts to be available, but no specific individual payments.

27 Feb, 2025

Industrial development boards can skip public hearings under proposed bill
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Industrial development boards can skip public hearings under proposed bill

economic development, Legislature, public comment

Industrial development boards can skip public hearings under proposed bill

By Deborah Fisher|2025-03-03T10:59:14-06:00February 27, 2025|Categories: economic development, Legislature, public comment|Tags: housing, industrial development board, public hearings|0 Comments

A proposed bill would allow industrial development boards to skip public hearings on new development projects when they "amend" their plans. This also means they would not have to publish two-week advance notice before voting on the amended plans. Industrial development boards are used to subsidize private development projects by capturing property and sales taxes to help pay for the project, usually through tax increment financing zones or payment-in-lieu of taxes agreements. The elimination of public hearings is part of a larger bill that appears designed to spur new housing by expanding the definition of what types of projects can be funded through the capture of property and sales taxes.

25 Feb, 2025

Bill would require redaction of addresses from property records, deeds, other records
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Bill would require redaction of addresses from property records, deeds, other records

exemptions, Legislature

Bill would require redaction of addresses from property records, deeds, other records

By Deborah Fisher|2025-02-25T11:45:56-06:00February 25, 2025|Categories: exemptions, Legislature|0 Comments

Certain local and state government employees, including law enforcement and court staff, would be allowed to require government agencies to redact their home addresses and other information from all public records under a bill proposed in the Tennessee Legislature.

13 Feb, 2025

UT pays $60K in attorney fees to settle WBIR public records lawsuit
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UT pays $60K in attorney fees to settle WBIR public records lawsuit

public records lawsuits Tennessee, public university records

UT pays $60K in attorney fees to settle WBIR public records lawsuit

By Deborah Fisher|2025-02-13T19:28:51-06:00February 13, 2025|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, public university records|0 Comments

After a public records lawsuit by Knoxville TV station WBIR, the University of Tennessee has turned over unredacted copies of operating agreements and other documents for a partnership that runs Oak Ridge National Laboratory and paid $60,000 to cover WBIR's attorneys fees and litigation costs.