News - Page 37 of 125 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

29 Apr, 2019

Sociology professor studying immigration files public records suit against Knox County sheriff

By Deborah Fisher|2020-11-19T12:41:58-06:00April 29, 2019|Categories: crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: arrest records, Knox County Sheriff, Meghan Conley, police records|0 Comments

A sociology professor who researches immigration enforcement has filed a public records lawsuit against the Knox County Sheriff, claiming the office has repeatedly violated the law in denying and delaying access to public records. Meghan Conley has made a series of requests over the past 19 months for records related to the sheriff's office's 287(g) program that started almost two years ago. Meghan Conley, a sociology professor at University of Tennessee, has filed a public records lawsuit against the Knox County Sheriff after making a series of public records request related to immigration enforcement. Under the 287(g) program, the Knox County Sheriff's Office is authorized by U.S. Immigration and Customs [...]

17 Apr, 2019

Bill to make 911 calls confidential to be worked on over summer

By Deborah Fisher|2019-04-17T13:38:26-05:00April 17, 2019|Categories: exemptions, Legislature|Tags: 911 calls|1 Comment

Legislation to make 911 calls and transmissions confidential was delayed after the House sponsor said he wanted to work more on the bill over the summer. State Rep. Rick Tillis, R-Lewisburg, represents Marshall and part of Franklin, Lincoln, and Marion Counties. He has filed a bill to make 911 confidential. The bill, HB 335, would have created an exemption to the Tennessee Public Records Act for all 911 calls, making them only available for use by law enforcement, the courts and other governmental agencies. The Tennessee Press Association and Tennessee Association of Broadcasters lobbied against the bill, pointing out that access to 911 calls have led to numerous news stories [...]

17 Apr, 2019

Bill to punish “harassing” public records requesters delayed until first calendars in 2020

By Deborah Fisher|2019-04-17T12:48:30-05:00April 17, 2019|Categories: adequate public notice, Legislature, requests|Tags: harassment, public records request, State Rep. William Lamberth, State Sen. Ferrell Haile|1 Comment

Proposed legislation that would allow a government entity in Tennessee to get an injunction to stop public records requesters whose requests constituted "harassment" has been delayed until next year. The bills, Senate Bill 590 and House Bill 626, sought to allow government entities to stop a public records requester from making further requests if a judge found the requests to be made "in a manner that would cause a reasonable person, including a records custodian or any staff of the public entity in control of the public records, to be seriously abused, intimidated, threatened, or harassed." The bills' sponsors, Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland, and Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, offered different [...]

25 Mar, 2019

TCOG, Associated Press, Gannett, Sinclair, others file amicus brief in “investigative records” case

By Deborah Fisher|2019-03-25T17:23:11-05:00March 25, 2019|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Chancellor Anne Martin, Court of Appeals, investigative exemption, NewsChannel 5, Paul McAdoo, Phil Williams, Tennessean v. Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County|1 Comment

Several news organizations and the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government have filed an amicus brief in a case under appeal in which ordinary public records were swept into an investigative file and then deemed confidential. The case, Scripps Media, Inc., v. Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and TBI, arose after Nashville NewsChannel 5 investigative reporter Phil Williams requested travel records, phone logs and credit card purchase summaries from the two state agencies. The agencies denied the request, citing the law enforcement "investigation" exemption. The records, they explained, had been requested by the district attorney as part of an investigation into potential misuse of funds. NewsChannel 5 [...]

25 Mar, 2019

911 calls will be topic for House subcommittee this week

By Deborah Fisher|2019-04-17T13:11:38-05:00March 25, 2019|Categories: exemptions, Legislature|Tags: 911 calls, emergency communications board, Jack McElroy, State Rep. Rick Tillis|0 Comments

The House Public Service and Employees Subcommittee is scheduled to hear a proposal on Wednesday to make all "911 calls, transmissions, recordings of an emergency communications district and emergency communications board" confidential. The bill is sponsored by state Rep. Rick Tillis, R-Lewisburg. An amendment Tillis plans to offer on the bill clarifies that "transmission" includes video recordings and text messages of the emergency communications district and emergency communications boards. The subcommittee normally meets for Bill Review at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays on the fifth floor of the Cordell Hull building in Room 5F, in which stakeholders interested in bills can share their thoughts. The subcommittee meets in regular session at [...]