Public Records Archives - Page 19 of 74 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

17 Apr, 2019

Bill to punish “harassing” public records requesters delayed until first calendars in 2020

By Deborah Fisher|2019-04-17T12:48:30-05:00April 17, 2019|Categories: adequate public notice, Legislature, requests|Tags: harassment, public records request, State Rep. William Lamberth, State Sen. Ferrell Haile|1 Comment

Proposed legislation that would allow a government entity in Tennessee to get an injunction to stop public records requesters whose requests constituted "harassment" has been delayed until next year. The bills, Senate Bill 590 and House Bill 626, sought to allow government entities to stop a public records requester from making further requests if a judge found the requests to be made "in a manner that would cause a reasonable person, including a records custodian or any staff of the public entity in control of the public records, to be seriously abused, intimidated, threatened, or harassed." The bills' sponsors, Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland, and Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, offered different [...]

25 Mar, 2019

TCOG, Associated Press, Gannett, Sinclair, others file amicus brief in “investigative records” case

By Deborah Fisher|2019-03-25T17:23:11-05:00March 25, 2019|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Chancellor Anne Martin, Court of Appeals, investigative exemption, NewsChannel 5, Paul McAdoo, Phil Williams, Tennessean v. Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County|1 Comment

Several news organizations and the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government have filed an amicus brief in a case under appeal in which ordinary public records were swept into an investigative file and then deemed confidential. The case, Scripps Media, Inc., v. Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and TBI, arose after Nashville NewsChannel 5 investigative reporter Phil Williams requested travel records, phone logs and credit card purchase summaries from the two state agencies. The agencies denied the request, citing the law enforcement "investigation" exemption. The records, they explained, had been requested by the district attorney as part of an investigation into potential misuse of funds. NewsChannel 5 [...]

25 Mar, 2019

911 calls will be topic for House subcommittee this week

By Deborah Fisher|2019-04-17T13:11:38-05:00March 25, 2019|Categories: exemptions, Legislature|Tags: 911 calls, emergency communications board, Jack McElroy, State Rep. Rick Tillis|0 Comments

The House Public Service and Employees Subcommittee is scheduled to hear a proposal on Wednesday to make all "911 calls, transmissions, recordings of an emergency communications district and emergency communications board" confidential. The bill is sponsored by state Rep. Rick Tillis, R-Lewisburg. An amendment Tillis plans to offer on the bill clarifies that "transmission" includes video recordings and text messages of the emergency communications district and emergency communications boards. The subcommittee normally meets for Bill Review at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays on the fifth floor of the Cordell Hull building in Room 5F, in which stakeholders interested in bills can share their thoughts. The subcommittee meets in regular session at [...]

21 Mar, 2019

House bill to limit trade secret exception for government payments fails in subcommittee

By Deborah Fisher|2019-03-25T14:46:14-05:00March 21, 2019|Categories: economic development, Legislature|Tags: economic development, Google, State Rep. David Hawk, State Rep. Harold Love, State Rep. Martin Daniel, trade secrets|1 Comment

“It is we, the Legislature, representatives of the people, who should declare what is a trade secret and what is confidential (about government transactions). Not these private entities who are receiving government benefits.” State Rep. Martin Daniel, R-Knoxville, in presenting HB 370. House Bill 370, which would have limited the ability of businesses to claim a government payment to them as confidential under the trade secret law, failed in subcommittee on Wednesday. While my organization, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, was disappointed in the vote, the issue got a fair hearing from the subcommittee and allowed us to share with lawmakers a potential problem. The bill would have changed the [...]

7 Mar, 2019

Mom fights for law to allow parents to view school bus video

By Deborah Fisher|2019-03-07T18:36:17-06:00March 7, 2019|Categories: Legislature, schools|Tags: Brooke Wilkerson, FERPA, school bus video, State Rep. Rick Tillis, State Sen. Shane Reeves|3 Comments

Lawmakers will consider a bill next week to allow parents to view school bus video after reports of physical harm, harassment, intimidation or bullying involving their child. Sen. Shane Reeves, R-Murfreesboro, is sponsoring SB 182, after hearing from a Lewisburg mother who faced roadblocks in finding out what happened to her kindergartener on the bus. Brooke Wilkerson, a Lewisburg mom who faced roadblocks in trying to see school bus video after her kindergartener told of her of a "secret tickling game" with a 12-year-old that took place on the bus. Brooke Wilkerson said she was concerned when her young daughter told her about a "secret tickling game" on the [...]