News - Page 52 of 125 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

25 Oct, 2017

Broadcasters association advises Open Records Counsel that blanket ban on photos of public records is unreasonable, inefficient

By Deborah Fisher|2017-10-26T04:11:27-05:00October 25, 2017|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel, Public Records|Tags: Doug Pierce, Lee Pope, photos of public records, Tennessee Association of Broadcasters|1 Comment

The Tennessee Association of Broadcasters has added its voice to the growing number of entities who have urged the Office of Open Records Counsel to revise its Model Public Records Policy to eliminate the option of a blanket ban on taking photos of public records. Doug Pierce with King & Ballow The Office of Open Records Counsel's model policy includes language that several government entities have adopted into their own policies and practices that would ban someone from taking a photo of a non-exempt public record with their cell phone or camera. The broadcasters association, along with the League of Women Voters of Tennessee, the Tennessee Press Association [...]

21 Oct, 2017

Chalkbeat: State is suing Nashville schools to turn over student directory information; Memphis takes a different path

By Deborah Fisher|2017-10-21T10:24:59-05:00October 21, 2017|Categories: schools|Tags: FERPA, Metro Nashville school board, Shelby County School Board, State Department of Education, student directory information|0 Comments

Chalkbeat has provided in-depth coverage of the escalating fight over release of student directory information to charter school operators who want to use it for recruitment. The state this past week filed a lawsuit against the Nashville school district to force the production of the student directory information, which includes student's addresses, phone numbers and other information, after the school district refused the state's order earlier this year. Chalkbeat explains in its most recent report a different tack taken by Memphis schools, which is notifying parents of their rights to have their student's information not released if they "opt out." The Nashville school district's refusal to turn over the information [...]

20 Oct, 2017

NFOIC: Key open government challenges in states emerge from 2017 FOI summit

By Deborah Fisher|2017-10-20T09:39:50-05:00October 20, 2017|Categories: Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Dan Bevarly, government contracts, Mal Leary, NFOIC, NFOIC summit, private email, reverse FOI lawsuits, texting|0 Comments

This from the National Freedom of Information Coalition, which held its 2017 FOI Summit in Nashville Oct. 13-14: Dan Bevarly, executive director of National Freedom of Information Coalition The National Freedom of Information Coalition concluded its 2017 FOI Summit in Nashville over the weekend. The annual two-day event features presentations from FOI experts and practitioners on trending FOI and open government issues in public institutions at the state and local levels. Summit attendees include NFOIC’s state coalition directors, journalists, media lawyers and first amendment watchdogs. The Tennessee Coalition of Open Government served as summit co-host. This year’s gathering highlighted key FOI challenges emerging in state and local governments including: Growing [...]

19 Oct, 2017

League of Women Voters of Tennessee asks Open Records Counsel to allow common sense use of everyday technology

By Deborah Fisher|2017-12-06T08:08:11-06:00October 19, 2017|Categories: Public Records|Tags: League of Women Voters, photos of public records|1 Comment

The League of Women Voters of Tennessee has submitted a letter to Open Records Counsel Lee Pope, saying it was dismayed by the Office's interpretation of the state's public records laws that is encouraging governments to ban the use of cell phones to make copies of public records. The League, which has a seat on the Advisory Committee on Open Government that was set up to advise the Open Records Counsel, has chapters throughout the state. The letter was written by its president, Marian Ott. The Oct. 13. letter: RE: Policy Banning Photos of Public Records Dear Mr. Pope, The League of Women Voters of Tennessee was dismayed by your [...]

19 Oct, 2017

Tennessee Press Association calls on Open Records Counsel to ease ban on taking photos of public records

By Deborah Fisher|2017-10-19T16:45:02-05:00October 19, 2017|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel, Public Records|Tags: Advisory Committee on Open Government, Jack McElroy, Lee Pope, photos of public records, Tennessee Press Association|0 Comments

The Tennessee Press Association, writing on behalf of its 125 member newspapers, has requested that the Office of Open Records Counsel update its Model Public Records Policy to reflect that government entities "cannot ban carte blanche the taking of pictures of public records by cell phone cameras." Lee Pope, the state's new Open Records Counsel. The office, which was created by the Legislature in 2008 to provide educational outreach on the public records laws, included in its Model Public Records Policy this model language, with a choice for government entities: A requestor will [not] be allowed to make copies of records with personal equipment. [Indicate under what circumstances, [...]