News - Page 38 of 128 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

28 Aug, 2019

Office of Open Records Counsel to offer free training statewide in October

By Deborah Fisher|2019-08-28T14:10:16-05:00August 28, 2019|Categories: Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Office of Open Records Counsel, public records training|0 Comments

The Office of Open Records Counsel is offering seven two-hour training sessions across the state from Oct. 1-22 on public records and open meetings laws. Lee Pope, the state's Open Records Counsel. The sessions are free and open to government employees, elected officials, media, and anyone who is interested in learning more about Tennessee’s public records and open meetings laws. RSVP by sending an email to [email protected]. The time, dates and places are: Cookeville: Tuesday, October 1, 10 am – 12 pm, Upper Cumberland Regional Health Facility, 1100 England Drive, Cookeville. Kingsport: Wednesday, October 9, 10 am – 12 pm, Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, 400 Clinchfield Street, #100, Kingsport. Knoxville: [...]

19 Aug, 2019

Court of Appeals reins in state’s expansive use of investigative exemption

By Deborah Fisher|2019-08-19T20:25:15-05:00August 19, 2019|Categories: investigative exemption, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Court of Appeals, Frank G. Clement Jr., investigative exemption, Janet Kleinfelter, Judge D. Michael Swiney, Judge Richard Dinkins, Phil Williams, TCOG news|1 Comment

The Tennessee Court of Appeals in a ruling on Friday put much-needed limits around the so-called investigative exemption that has been used by the state to cloak otherwise public records. "We hold that public records created in the ordinary course of business, which are non-investigative in nature, and which are otherwise accessible by Tennessee citizens under the TPRA (Tennessee Public Records Act), do not subsequently become exempt from disclosure because of the initiation of a criminal investigation in which those records become relevant," the Court ruled in Scripps Media, Inc. v. Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Williams requested travel, other ordinary public records from state News [...]

13 Aug, 2019

Montgomery County Commission bans citizens from livestreaming meetings

By Deborah Fisher|2019-08-14T08:54:31-05:00August 13, 2019|Categories: Open Meetings|Tags: cameras, livestreaming, Montgomery County, open meetings, Tennessee Constitution|0 Comments

The Montgomery County Commission voted this week to prohibit live broadcasts, or livestreaming, from within the commission chambers during meetings despite advice that such a prohibition could be unconstitutional. The purpose of the amended rules, which also included other new restrictions, stated they were “to preserve the function, dignity and order of the proceedings.” But the county sheriff also told commissioners during the meeting that allowing live broadcasts created a security concern. The sheriff said he could not discuss details about the security problem caused by live broadcasts because that in itself would cause a security issue. County provides video on YouTube Montgomery County Commissioner Jason Knight argued that just [...]

9 Jul, 2019

Chancellor puts Ridgetop BOMA under permanent court order to not violate open meetings act again

By Deborah Fisher|2019-07-09T12:33:09-05:00July 9, 2019|Categories: adequate public notice, open meetings lawsuits|Tags: adequate notice, Chancellor Lauren McMillan Jr., open meetings act enforcement, Ridgetop|0 Comments

Chancellor Laurence McMillan Jr. has permanently enjoined the Ridgetop's Board of Mayor and Aldermen from violating the Tennessee Open Meetings Act again in an action that should help ensure that the board's future decision-making is done in public. Robertson County Chancellor Laurence M. McMillan Jr. signed an injunction voiding a June 10 decision to eliminate the Ridgetop Police Department, and placed the town's Board of Mayor and Aldermen under permanent court order to not violate the Open Meetings Act again. The order states that the BOMA violated the Open Meetings Act by not providing adequate notice of the June 10 meeting as required by law. Ridgetop's BOMA dissolved the five-officer [...]

27 Jun, 2019

Resident says Lebanon City councilwoman created Open Meetings Act violation through emails

By Deborah Fisher|2019-06-27T13:49:04-05:00June 27, 2019|Categories: Open Meetings|Tags: emails, Lebanon City Council, Lorrie Hicks, Open Meetings Act, open meetings violation|2 Comments

A Lebanon resident, who was barred from entering a city council meeting, is claiming the Lebanon City Council has violated the Tennessee Open Meetings Act multiple times in recent months and is requesting the city get training on the law and reconsider its actions on a recent rezoning decision. Lorrie Hicks, through her attorney Paul McAdoo, has sent a letter to the Mayor Bernie Ash of the Lebanon City Council, explaining the alleged violations. She told TCOG she has not yet heard back from the city, although the mayor was quoted in the local newspaper as saying he had turned over her letter to the city attorney. “I don’t know [...]