Taxpayers don't know what they are getting for their money despite some lawmakers pushing for more accountability and information. Why? A web of exceptions to Tennessee's Public Records laws and lack of meaningful reporting on outcomes prevent transparency in the state's economic development programs.
The University of Memphis has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have required public records requestors who took pictures of public records to hand over their phone so the university could check it for what they photographed and would have allowed the university to charge the person a "production cost" even though the university itself did not produce the copies.
The Memphis city shelter has decided to no longer disclose medical treatment records of the animals in its care upon a public records request, claiming animals have a right to privacy over their medical records.
A recent report by investigative journalist Marc Perrusquia details the excessive redaction of body camera footage, obscuring information and leading to high labor costs and delays when journalists and members of the public want to view it. The report, "Inaccessible: Police Body Camera Footage Is Often Expensive, Heavily Edited And Takes Months To Get", was published by the Institute for Public Service Reporting in Memphis where Perrusquia is director. The report is especially relevant and timely because a law that allows redaction of certain parts of body camera footage is set to expire July 1, 2022. [...]
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." [...]