News - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

21 Jan, 2025

Does the governor’s new voucher bill provide enough transparency?
Gallery
Does the governor’s new voucher bill provide enough transparency?

Legislature, schools, state records

Does the governor’s new voucher bill provide enough transparency?

By Deborah Fisher|2025-01-23T08:01:28-06:00January 21, 2025|Categories: Legislature, schools, state records|Tags: Education Freedom Scholarship Act, Gov. Bill Lee, vouchers|0 Comments

The governor's voucher bill, called the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, would provide money, beginning next year at $7,075, for students in private schools to use toward their education. But the bill is not like the pilot voucher plan that the governor started a few years back in Davidson, Shelby and, later, Hamilton counties. And it has no requirements for measuring outcomes, such as how many vouchers go to children already in private schools.

16 Jan, 2025

Public comment for property developments would be eliminated under proposed bill
Gallery
Public comment for property developments would be eliminated under proposed bill

Legislature, public comment

Public comment for property developments would be eliminated under proposed bill

By Deborah Fisher|2025-01-20T14:28:05-06:00January 16, 2025|Categories: Legislature, public comment|Tags: planning commission, public comment, State Sen. Richard Briggs, zoning hearings|0 Comments

Public comment periods would be eliminated at county commission and city council meetings for applications for new property developments if the proposed development substantially complies with previously reviewed zoning regulations or maps under a bill introduced this week.

16 Jan, 2025

Davis, Lowe seek to expand public comment law
Gallery
Davis, Lowe seek to expand public comment law

Legislature, public comment

Davis, Lowe seek to expand public comment law

By Deborah Fisher|2025-01-16T08:33:49-06:00January 16, 2025|Categories: Legislature, public comment|Tags: Rep. Elaine Davis, Sen. Adam Lowe|0 Comments

A pair of lawmakers are seeking to expand public comment periods to require governing bodies to allow comment on items that are not on the agenda but germane to the governing body's work. The lawmakers — state Rep. Elaine Davis of Knoxville and state Sen. Adam Lowe of Calhoun — passed the first public comment requirement bill in 2023. Davis said this would allow members of the public to let the governing body know of issues that they may not be aware of.

15 Jan, 2025

Electronic roll call for House committee votes will replace controversial voice votes
Gallery
Electronic roll call for House committee votes will replace controversial voice votes

Legislature

Electronic roll call for House committee votes will replace controversial voice votes

By Deborah Fisher|2025-01-16T09:59:59-06:00January 15, 2025|Categories: Legislature|Tags: House rules, legislature, roll call votes|0 Comments

House committees in the Tennessee legislature will have electronic roll call votes beginning this year if the recommendation from the House Select Committee on Rules is adopted. The change will get rid of controversial voice votes in which the chair decides if he or she heard more ayes or nays.

11 Jan, 2025

Tussle over secrecy of lethal injection protocol shakes loose some records
Gallery
Tussle over secrecy of lethal injection protocol shakes loose some records

execution drugs

Tussle over secrecy of lethal injection protocol shakes loose some records

By Deborah Fisher|2025-01-11T10:01:35-06:00January 11, 2025|Categories: execution drugs|0 Comments

The Tennessee Department of Correction tried to keep its new execution protocol for lethal injection secret. But after a week of wide news reporting of the state's refusal to release the document, it changed its mind and provided the document with redactions. The tussle shows how secrecy about lethal injection as a method of execution continues to be a problem.