News - Page 22 of 125 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

12 Feb, 2021

House subcommittee to consider expanding confidentiality of college president searches

By Deborah Fisher|2021-02-14T18:31:49-06:00February 12, 2021|Categories: Legislature, state records|Tags: Advisory Committee on Open Government, college president selection, Rep. Mark White, University of Tennessee|0 Comments

A House subcommittee is scheduled on Tuesday to consider a bill that would expand the confidentiality around applicants for the chief executive positions at state colleges. State Rep. Mark White is sponsoring a bill to expand the confidentiality related to filling top positions of president and chancellor at all state colleges. HB 473, sponsored by state Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, would allow a search committee to keep confidential the identity of applicants for the president or chancellor positions at all state colleges except for the finalist or finalists selected. The bill would allow a search committee to reveal only the single finalist they select, although the committee [...]

15 Jan, 2021

Revised bill aims to stop harassment from public records requesters
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Revised bill aims to stop harassment from public records requesters

Legislature, requests

Revised bill aims to stop harassment from public records requesters

By Deborah Fisher|2021-02-02T14:40:26-06:00January 15, 2021|Categories: Legislature, requests|0 Comments

State Senator Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, is bringing back a bill to give government entities tools to stop harassment from public records requesters. A bill to give government officials tools to stop what they view as harassment through public records requests was filed this week by state Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin. The bill is similar to a version that failed in the Senate Judiciary Committee last year on a 5-4 vote, but has some key changes. After the bill failed last year, Haile asked the Advisory Committee on Open Government to review it and give suggestions. State Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, is carrying the House version. Haile plans more changes to [...]

6 Jan, 2021

Knox County sheriff to appeal judge’s decision in public records case
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Knox County sheriff to appeal judge’s decision in public records case

public records lawsuits Tennessee

Knox County sheriff to appeal judge’s decision in public records case

By Deborah Fisher|2021-01-27T16:50:01-06:00January 6, 2021|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: attorney's fees, Chancellor John Weaver, David Buuck, Knox County Sheriff, Meghan Conley, public records requests|0 Comments

The Knox County Sheriff's Office has filed notice to appeal its loss in a public records case in which the judge found it violated the law in denying access to records requested by a University of Tennessee professor. Chancellor John Weaver in April ordered the sheriff's office to comply with provisions of the public records act governing responses to public records requests and to implement a system to allow public inspection of arrest records. Weaver in December also awarded $78,007 in attorney's fees to the professor who had to bring the lawsuit to force the sheriff's office to turn over records. Knox County Law Director David Buuck's office has filed [...]

2 Dec, 2020

Citizen wins $78K in attorney’s fees, expenses in public records suit against Knox County sheriff
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Citizen wins $78K in attorney’s fees, expenses in public records suit against Knox County sheriff

public records lawsuits Tennessee

Citizen wins $78K in attorney’s fees, expenses in public records suit against Knox County sheriff

By Deborah Fisher|2021-01-27T16:51:19-06:00December 2, 2020|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: attorney's fees, Chancellor John Weaver, Knox County Sheriff, Meghan Conley, public records requests|0 Comments

A Knox County judge last week awarded $78,007 in attorney's fees and expenses to a citizen who took the Knox County Sheriff to court for violating the public records law. Meghan Conley was awarded $78K for attorney's fees and expenses. The decision is another blow to the Knox County Sheriff's Office in a case replete with remarkable claims about the office's inability to locate public records or produce even the most basic records, such as arrest records, for inspection. Chancellor John Weaver had earlier found that the Knox County sheriff had violated the public records law by denying University of Tennessee sociology professor Meghan Conley access to arrest records and [...]

2 Nov, 2020

TN Democratic Party’s public records suit over absentee ballots misfires
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TN Democratic Party’s public records suit over absentee ballots misfires

public records lawsuits Tennessee, state records

TN Democratic Party’s public records suit over absentee ballots misfires

By Deborah Fisher|2021-01-27T17:03:42-06:00November 2, 2020|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, state records|Tags: absentee ballots, Chancellor Patricia Moskal, elections, Marquita Bradshaw, Tennessee Democratic Party, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, voter records|0 Comments

Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Moskal denied a request for an injunction to force the production of data that could show which Tennesseans have not yet returned absentee ballots. Her ruling was based largely on lack of proof that a public records request for the data had actually been made. In an election eve hearing today, attorney Benjamin Gastel of Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, argued that his client, the Tennessee Democratic Party, and the other plaintiff, the Marquita Bradshaw for Senate Campaign, had requested the data from five county election commissions and the Secretary of State's office. Chancellor Patricia Moskal Gastel said they wanted to find out the names of the [...]