News - Page 52 of 131 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

16 Aug, 2018

State agencies in full swing establishing public records rules

By Deborah Fisher|2020-11-19T12:34:36-06:00August 16, 2018|Categories: fees, requests|Tags: Bureau of Workers' Compensation, citizen id, Department of General Services, Department of Revenue, Department of Safety and Homeland Security, fees for public records, photos of public records, public records rules, rulemaking hearings, TennCare, Tennessee Housing Development Agency|0 Comments

If you are journalist or citizen who makes public records requests to state agencies, now is the time to pay attention to the public records rules being developed regarding that access. I've listed the agency email addresses and deadlines to submit below. Two state agencies have already held hearings and (and finished soliciting written comments) for their proposed rules: the Department of Transportation and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Coming up are: Aug. 30, Bureau of Workers' Compensation in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development Sept. 18, Tenncare Sept. 24, Department of Revenue Sept. 24, Department of Safety and Homeland Security Sept. 28, Tennessee Housing [...]

16 Aug, 2018

Why requiring a driver’s license to look at public records is often a waste of time and money

By Deborah Fisher|2018-08-17T16:26:29-05:00August 16, 2018|Categories: requests|Tags: citizen id, public records requests|0 Comments

Requiring a driver's license as an unbending condition to access public records is like hunting dragonflies with a shotgun. It’s overkill. And a little silly. Requiring a citizen to produce identification is almost always unnecessary yet it most certainly increases the chance that access to public records will be delayed. It also is a rule that is easy for a government official to abuse to blunt prompt access to public information. The law clearly does not require that a government entity require that a citizen provide identification proving who they are to access public records. The law allows that a government entity may require proof of Tennessee residency, presumably because [...]

14 Aug, 2018

TCOG makes recommendations for vetting state’s public records exemptions

By Deborah Fisher|2020-11-19T12:35:08-06:00August 14, 2018|Categories: exemptions, Legislature, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: exemptions, Jason Mumpower, Open Records Ad Hoc Committee, State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, TCOG news|3 Comments

The new Joint Open Records Ad Hoc Committee, formed to consider the growing number of public records exemptions, held its first meeting today. The committee invited TCOG to make a presentation. Also presenting was Jason Mumpower, chief of staff for the Comptroller's Office, which oversaw the compilation of a list of all statutory exemptions (which resides here.) TCOG presents recommendations about a review of exemptions to the Tennessee Public Records Act at the committee's first meeting on Aug. 14, 2018. You can watch the entire committee meeting by clicking on the video link found here. My presentation starts around the 52 minute mark. The committee set its next [...]

6 Aug, 2018

Three state agencies file hearing notice for public records rules; one bans photos

By Deborah Fisher|2018-08-06T12:27:43-05:00August 6, 2018|Categories: Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, fee waivers, fees for public records, photos of public records, public records request, public records rules, TennCare|0 Comments

Three Tennessee state agencies have upcoming public hearings on proposed public records rules. Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15 at 500 Deaderick Street, Ground Floor Room G.227. Department of Labor and Workforce Development, 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 30 at the Tennessee Room, 220 French Landing Drive, 1-A. Division of Tenncare, Department of Finance and Administration, 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 310 Great Circle Road, Conference Room 1 East A. In advance of public hearings, three state agencies have published their proposed rules on accessing public records. (Illustration by CC BY-SA 3.0 by Nick Youngson) Each of the agencies is proposing rules that [...]

6 Aug, 2018

TCOG founder Frank Gibson named to Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame

By Deborah Fisher|2019-06-19T08:34:48-05:00August 6, 2018|Categories: Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Frank Gibson|0 Comments

Frank Gibson, longtime Tennessee journalist and open records advocate, will be among seven people inducted into the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame tomorrow night. Frank Gibson Gibson, while working at The Tennessean in 2003, founded Tennessee Coalition for Open Government and became its first executive director. Gibson was a longtime reporter and political editor for the Nashville newspaper, working there 37 years. With the encouragement of then-editor John Seigenthaler, Gibson became active in freedom of information activities with the Society of Professional Journalists, serving as the lead person for FOI issues in the state for several years. In 2003, he worked with others to form Tennessee Coalition for [...]