Public Records

11 Jul, 2018

How much is AllianceBernstein getting in incentives? Sorry, that’s redacted

By |2018-07-13T17:03:33-05:00July 11, 2018|Categories: economic development, exemptions|Tags: , , |1 Comment

The Nashville Business Journal reported today that government attorneys believe it's OK to redact information in a document put before a vote of Metro Nashville's industrial development board. That members of a governing body were kept in the dark and apparently had no concern about it demonstrates just how far we've come in our local and state government culture. It's sloppy government and the citizens of Tennessee deserve better. It concerns AllianceBernstein, which is moving its global headquarters from New York to Nashville. From the Business Journal, as reported by Adam Sichko: What the state has disclosed is a $17.5 million jobs grant tied to the money manager's decision to [...]

15 Jun, 2018

Are addresses and phone numbers in accident reports confidential?

By |2020-11-19T12:31:06-06:00June 15, 2018|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

Are address and phone numbers in accident reports confidential? A Memphis judge on June 6 said no in Bradley Jetmore v. City of Memphis, affirming that such information is public record and should be accessible to the public. The case originated after the City of Memphis in November 2017 stopped allowing public access to the reports and specifically to the driver information in the report. Doug Pierce with King & Ballow Memphis, like other cities, have for years provided public access to accident reports. But in October 2017, it was sued in federal court (Price v. City of Memphis), alleging that it was violating the federal Driver Privacy Protection [...]

15 Jun, 2018

Column: Opioid trial must be completely open

By |2018-06-15T10:58:41-05:00June 15, 2018|Categories: Open Courts, public records lawsuits Tennessee, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

An OxyContin tablet. Purdue Pharma, who makes OxyContin, has asked for a protective order in a Knoxville circuit court to keep concealed some details of allegations by the state of Tennessee that it violated a 2007 court order and the state's consumer protection laws.   In 2007, the state of Tennessee and 25 other states reached a $19.5 million settlement agreement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, who they alleged was violating consumer laws in the marketing of their cash cow opioid drug. Among other allegations, the states said Purdue engaged in illegal marketing and downplayed the risks of addiction. Tennessee’s portion of the settlement was about $720,000. Kentucky [...]

16 May, 2018

UT uses new exemption to keep confidential how much it pays investment, hedge fund managers

By |2018-05-18T06:30:16-05:00May 16, 2018|Categories: exemptions|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Daniel Connolly wrote today in the Knoxville News Sentinel about how the University of Tennessee lobbied for a public records law exemption that is now being used to hide how much the public university pays hedge fund managers. Doesn't seem quite right, does it? Connolly, a reporter with the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, did a story about the rising amount of endowment money that public colleges are pumping into private equity funds and alternative investments -- mostly hedge funds -- often in offshore accounts. The University of Tennessee system has $345 million in such funds, about 38 percent of all of its investments. From the story: Under the new law, [...]

1 May, 2018

TCOG’s 2018 Legislative Report

By |2020-02-20T17:23:53-06:00May 1, 2018|Categories: crime records, exemptions, Legislature, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment

Following is TCOG's 2018 legislative report on changes related to public records and open meetings. The 110th General Assembly of Tennessee adjourned April 25. 1 - Selection of state college presidents  (HB 2000 / SB 2586) A requirement in the law to reveal the names and applications of candidates for president at state colleges, including University of Tennessee, was changed to allow search committees to make public “up to three” finalists instead of requiring disclosure of “no less than three.” The effect is that college search committees now have the option of recommending to a governing board as few as one person as finalist for president. Only the finalist or [...]

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