Public Records Archives - Page 9 of 76 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

7 Apr, 2022

Three bills improving open government laws clear House and Senate

By Deborah Fisher|2022-04-08T06:05:19-05:00April 7, 2022|Categories: crime records, Legislature, Open Meetings, requests|Tags: deaths in custody, electronic meetings, jails, prisons, public records requests, State Rep. Jeremy Faison, State Rep. Tim Rudd, State Sen. Kerry Roberts, State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, website|0 Comments

Three bills that improve open government have cleared both the House and Senate. One will improve the transparency of public meetings of hundreds of state boards and commissions. Another brings more transparency to deaths that occur in local jails and state prisons. And the third clarifies language in the public records law that sometimes causes confusion over ID requirements and the responsibility of government to search for records.

5 Apr, 2022

Stealth caption bill would block citizen access to police body cam footage, prevent restrictions on surveillance

By Deborah Fisher|2022-04-05T08:02:20-05:00April 5, 2022|Categories: crime records, Legislature|Tags: police body cameras, State Rep. Michael Curcio|5 Comments

A stealth caption bill that seeks to lock down citizen access to police body cam and dashcam footage has emerged late in session and will be heard in two key committees on Wednesday. The bill allows a law enforcement agency to delete most body cam and dashcam footage after 30 days and prevents local restrictions on police surveillance, such as facial recognition systems and drones. The bill, as revised, would be a dramatic step away from transparency, allowing police complete discretion over how it handles body camera footage and what is released and not released, even to the citizens directly affected in a police confrontation.

25 Feb, 2022

Body camera public record exemption needs update for more accountability

By Deborah Fisher|2022-02-28T09:43:03-06:00February 25, 2022|Categories: crime records, exemptions, Legislature|Tags: body cameras, crime records|2 Comments

An exemption passed in 2017 makes certain video footage captured by law enforcement body cameras confidential. The exemption is set to expire this year. And instead of renewing the exemption, we need to review its obvious problems.

22 Feb, 2022

Bill would create 3-state governmental agency not subject to any state’s public records laws

By Deborah Fisher|2022-02-23T07:28:06-06:00February 22, 2022|Categories: economic development, Legislature|Tags: economic development, functional equivalent, interstate compact, RegionSmart Development Agency|2 Comments

A bill that would create a three-state interstate compact agency with eminent domain powers for economic development in the Memphis region may not be subject to Tennessee's public records or open meetings laws, according to an expert in the state's Office of Open Records Counsel.

17 Feb, 2022

Citizen asks appeals court to reconsider attorney fees award

By Deborah Fisher|2022-02-17T14:53:40-06:00February 17, 2022|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Andrew Fels, Appeals Court, attorney's fees, Knox County Sheriff, Meghan Conley|0 Comments

A citizen who won a public records lawsuit against the Knox County Sheriff has asked an appeals court for a rehearing on a ruling that vacated the trial court's award of about $58,000 in attorney's fees and expenses.