News - Page 25 of 128 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

14 Feb, 2021

Bills would allow more governing bodies to meet electronically outside of Open Meetings Act rules

By Deborah Fisher|2021-02-16T12:10:48-06:00February 14, 2021|Categories: Legislature, Open Meetings|Tags: electronic meetings, Rep. Dave Wright, State Sen. Richard Briggs|3 Comments

Several bills seek to waive electronic participation rules for governing bodies so that public officials can attend more freely by phone instead of in person Permission for governing bodies to meet electronically during the COVID-19 epidemic has whet the appetite of some government officials to change the law permanently. Lawmakers have filed several bills that would give various types of governing bodies more exceptions to meet electronically — either allowing an entire governing body to meet by conference call or video conference or allowing certain members of a governing body to patch into a physical meeting by phone or video. Only one of the bills requires that meetings held electronically [...]

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 [...]