News - Page 57 of 125 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

14 Jul, 2017

Dear Tennessee museum commissioners, the state constitution is not a relic yet

By Deborah Fisher|2017-07-14T13:35:45-05:00July 14, 2017|Categories: Open Meetings|Tags: free press, free speech, state museum board, Tennessee State Museum|0 Comments

This week's account of a state worker snatching a meeting agenda packet from a news reporter’s hands was a low point in the open government ethic of Tennessee. I wish it were the only one. At a public meeting of the Douglas Henry State Museum Commission, Nashville Scene reporter Cari Wade Gervin picked up a meeting packet laying on the table that contained a proposed new operating policy, including a new Code of Conduct for commissioners. She was trying to copy down information in it. Also see: State museum commission restricts speech, communication with the press The Nashville Scene reported that the museum’s media relations officer grabbed the document out of [...]

14 Jul, 2017

New museum director says it will start providing meeting agendas to reporters

By Deborah Fisher|2023-04-11T10:58:20-05:00July 14, 2017|Categories: Open Meetings|Tags: agenda packets, agendas, Ashley Howell, Nashville Scene, Tennessee State Museum|0 Comments

The new executive director of the Tennessee State Museum said on Friday that it will start proactively providing to media members copies of meeting agendas and agenda packets after an incident on Monday in which a Nashville Scene reporter covering a museum commission meeting was prevented from seeing such materials. Tennessee State Museum Director Ashley Howell “In the future, the Tennessee State Museum will proactively provide all members of the media copies of agendas and accompanying materials for each Commission meeting in keeping with the practice of most state agencies," said executive director Ashley Howell in a statement and through a phone call. "The museum’s management values transparency, [...]

14 Jul, 2017

Appellate court reverses trial court, upholds attorney fee provision in public records case

By Deborah Fisher|2018-11-16T15:09:47-06:00July 14, 2017|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: attorneys' fees, fees for public records, Giles County, Judge Arnold Goldin, Judge Brandon Gibson, Rickey Joe Taylor, Rickey Joe Taylor v. Town of Lynnville, Robert Dalton|1 Comment

The Court of Appeals on Thursday found a Lynnville city recorder was willful in denying a citizen access to inspect public records when she required an upfront $150, and remanded the case back to consider the award of the citizen's attorney fees. It is the third case in two years in which the appellate court has said that a wrongful denial of public records must be based on law or a good faith argument about the law to avoid the award of attorney fees. Court of Appeals Judge Arnold B. Goldin In the opinion delivered by Judge Arnold B. Goldin and joined by Judge J. Steve Stafford, the court reversed [...]

11 Jul, 2017

State museum commission restricts speech, communication with the press

By Deborah Fisher|2017-07-11T16:16:35-05:00July 11, 2017|Categories: Open Meetings|Tags: First Amendment, speech restrictions, state museum board, Tennessee State Museum, Tom Smith, Victor Ashe|1 Comment

The Douglas Henry State Museum Commission adopted a new code of conduct on Monday that requires all commission members except for the chair and vice-chair to provide advance notification to the entire commission of any comments that they make to the public before making them. The policy would cover any communication with the press, or any public comments or written comments. The commission also decided it would apply to social media. "Should a Commissioner, excluding the Chair and Vice-Chair, publish any written statement, including blogs, or give any public statement regarding the Commission, Museum, Executive Director, or Museum personnel the Commissioner shall provide the Commission with an advance copy of [...]

5 Jul, 2017

Lee Pope promoted to Open Records Counsel, replaces Ann Butterworth

By Deborah Fisher|2017-07-05T09:59:07-05:00July 5, 2017|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel|Tags: Ann Butterworth, Lee Pope, Office of Open Records Counsel, Rachel Buckley|0 Comments

Lee Pope, the state's new Open Records Counsel. Lee Pope, who joined the Office of Open Records Counsel last year as Deputy Open Records Counsel, has been promoted to Open Records Counsel, replacing Ann Butterworth. Butterworth is returning to her primary role as Assistant to the Comptroller for Public Finance. Butterworth had served since 2014 as the Open Records Counsel after Elisha Hodge left. Comptroller Justin P. Wilson said Pope has played a key role in eliminating a backlog of requests for assistance and in developing a model public records policy for use by government entities. Pope previously worked as Assistant Director and General Counsel for the Tennessee [...]