Public Records Archives - Page 36 of 78 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

12 Apr, 2017

5 things to watch in public records policies

By Deborah Fisher|2017-04-12T11:29:39-05:00April 12, 2017|Categories: requests|Tags: fee waivers, meeting agendas, meeting minutes, model public records policy, photos of public records, public records policies, public records request coordinator, public records requests|0 Comments

To influence government, citizens must have access to information. In Tennessee, an important safeguard to that access is the state’s public records law. But sometimes that law gets ignored or flouted, and government entities create rules or habits that make it hard, confusing or downright impossible for citizens to access public records in a timely way. Last year, lawmakers took a step in the right direction toward encouraging compliance with the Tennessee Public Records Act, and passed a law that requires every government entity in the state to establish a public records policy by July 1. The public records policies must outline the process for citizens to make public records [...]

23 Mar, 2017

WATE 6: DA’s request could prevent closure for Gatlinburg fire victims

By Deborah Fisher|2017-03-23T06:30:01-05:00March 23, 2017|Categories: crime records|Tags: Gatlinburg fire, Sevier County, Sevier County District Attorney Jimmy Dunn|0 Comments

From WATE 6 in Knoxville on efforts to get information about the emergency response to the Gatlinburg fire:

21 Mar, 2017

Bill to bring transparency to TBI investigations of police shootings advances

By Deborah Fisher|2017-03-22T07:53:04-05:00March 21, 2017|Categories: crime records, Legislature|Tags: body camera, district attorneys, police shootings, State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, State Rep. Lee Harris, TBI|0 Comments

A bill that would make public the investigative record of TBI investigations of police shootings after the case is over advanced in a House subcommittee today. The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted to move the bill to the full committee. State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, is sponsoring the bill, H.B. 277, in the House, and state Sen. Lee Harris, D-Memphis, is the sponsor in the Senate. (S.B. 1039) State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis Currently, some district attorneys in the state say they cannot release the investigative record in a police shooting case, even after the case is over, because of an exemption to the Tennessee Public Records Act [...]

21 Mar, 2017

Email bill passes the House 96-0

By Deborah Fisher|2017-03-21T06:30:08-05:00March 21, 2017|Categories: Legislature, requests|Tags: bad players, requests by email, State Rep. Courtney Rogers, State Rep. Darren Jernigan|0 Comments

A bill that would make clear that public records requesters can make their requests via email passed the House 96-0 last night. See video from presentation of the bill on the House floor. State Rep. Courtney Rogers, R-Goodlettsville, presents H.B. 58, with State Rep. Darren Jernigan, D-Nashville, by her side. Jernigan helped author an amendment. The email bill was sponsored by state Rep. Courtney Rogers, R-Goodlettsville. It was amended in committee with input from state Rep. Darren Jernigan, D-Nashville. The amendment reduces a government entity's requirements for a period of time to fulfill public records requests from people who have a pattern of not coming to view records they [...]

20 Mar, 2017

Even elected officials have trouble prying loose government information

By Deborah Fisher|2017-03-27T16:21:38-05:00March 20, 2017|Categories: economic development, Legislature|Tags: outsourcing, proactive disclosure|0 Comments

Tucked in a Nashville Scene article about Nashville councilman John Cooper is an anecdote that is not altogether unusual -- an elected official hitting a roadblock in getting what he thinks should be basic public government information. At-large Nashville Councilman John Cooper Cooper is the chairman of Metro Council's Budget and Finance Committee and the article by Steven Hale describes him as "a vocal opponent of the type of incentive deals that have been a staple of Metro's economic development strategy for years." Cooper tells The Scene that "I'm kind of in a thing with Rolling Mill Hill, trying to get just basic information about the transaction." Having a [...]