Tennessee Coalition for Open Government Archives - Page 4 of 21

29 Apr, 2020

Electronic meetings survey: We need your observations!

By Deborah Fisher|2020-05-09T13:12:54-05:00April 29, 2020|Categories: Open Meetings, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: COVID-19, electronic meetings|0 Comments

Knoxville City Council using Zoom on March 24, 2020. Tennessee Coalition for Open Government is collecting information on how governing bodies have conducted meetings during COVID-19, including electronic meetings. What went well? What didn't? And how can things be improved? Governor Bill Lee on March 20 issued Executive Order No. 16, temporarily suspending the requirement that members of a governing body gather a quorum of members physically present at the same location to conduct business. It allowed governing bodies to instead meet by electronic means in light of the COVID-19 outbreak so long as they provided live access, or a clear audio or video recording afterward. The order expires on [...]

28 Apr, 2020

Georgia can’t copyright its annotated code, says Supreme Court in ruling that could affect Tennessee

By Deborah Fisher|2020-05-09T13:13:54-05:00April 28, 2020|Categories: Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: copyright, Tennessee Code Annotated, U.S. Supreme Court|0 Comments

The U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision on Monday ruled that non-binding legal materials created by a state legislative body cannot be copyrighted, expanding the understanding of what government works are in the public domain. In a decision delivered by Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., the Supreme Court ruled that Georgia can't copyright the annotations in its official state code. At issue in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc. was whether Georgia could copyright the annotations in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) and prevent the nonprofit Public.Resource.Org from copying the annotated version and distributing it for free on its website. “Under the government edicts doctrine, judges — and, we [...]

13 Apr, 2020

Judge rules against Knox County sheriff in public records case, puts department under court orders

By Deborah Fisher|2020-05-09T13:17:02-05:00April 13, 2020|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Knox County Sheriff, Meghan Conley|1 Comment

Chancellor John Weaver ruled on April 9, 2020, in favor of Meghan Conley, who sued the Knox County sheriff over its responses to her public records requests. In an important win for access to public records, Knox County Chancellor John Weaver found the Knox County Sheriff's Office violated the public records law in its responses to a sociology professor seeking access to records related to immigration enforcement. Knox County Chancellor John Weaver After a public records case that stretched on for a year, Weaver issued a court order on April 9 in Meghan Conley v. Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler that requires the sheriff's office to comply with provisions of [...]

10 Apr, 2020

Campaign finance board’s secret email votes could set dangerous precedent

By Deborah Fisher|2020-05-09T13:18:35-05:00April 10, 2020|Categories: Open Meetings, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Bill Young, email vote, Registry of Election Finance|1 Comment

It's been more than a week since the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance Board voted secretly by email to reduce the civil penalties against a Memphis state representative by more than $44,000 in a last-minute decision to try to clear him to file for re-election. The vote appears to violate the Open Meetings law, which says: "All votes of any such governmental body shall be by public vote or public ballot or public roll call. No secret votes, or secret ballots, or secret roll calls shall be allowed." [T.C.A. 8-44-104(b)] State Rep. Joe Towns, D-Memphis, had accumulated $65,000 in civil penalties for failing to file campaign finance disclosures over several [...]

30 Mar, 2020

TN County Services Association and TN Municipal League urge maintaining transparency during COVID-19

By Deborah Fisher|2020-05-09T13:21:55-05:00March 30, 2020|Categories: Open Meetings, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: COVID-19, electronic meetings, Tennessee County Services Association, Tennessee Municipal League|0 Comments

Two of the largest government associations in Tennessee last week issued guidance and suggestions to its members, urging them to maintain government openness and transparency during the COVID-19 crisis. The Tennessee County Services Association and Tennessee Municipal League in its letter explained the Governor's Executive Order. No. 16 allowing for electronic meetings. David Connor, executive director of Tennessee County Services Association. Chad Jenkins, deputy director, Tennessee Municipal League The letter from the government associations encouraged cities and counties "to make every effort to allow the public some way to access the meeting through a live audio or video stream" but if not able to do this, to make sure a [...]