News - Page 63 of 125 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

28 Feb, 2017

Want to know your legislator’s voting record? Bill tries to make it easier

By Deborah Fisher|2017-03-01T04:08:53-06:00February 28, 2017|Categories: Legislature|Tags: D-Memphis, legislature, State Sen. Lee Harris, voting record|0 Comments

Are you interested in knowing your legislator's voting record? State Sen. Lee Harris, D-Memphis, and state Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, have proposed legislation that would make that much easier for the ordinary citizens in Tennessee. State Sen. Lee Harris, D-Memphis On Tuesday, Harris' bill, S.B. 322, passed a key Senate committee. It would require that the state "publish the voting record of each general assembly member on the official website of the Tennessee general assembly following the adjournment of each annual session of the general assembly." "As it stands now, in order to compile a legislator’s voting record, you would have to go to each individual bill to see how [...]

27 Feb, 2017

Editorial: Bill would make public records access easier

By Deborah Fisher|2017-02-27T18:18:13-06:00February 27, 2017|Categories: Legislature, requests|Tags: Knoxville News Sentinel, legislature, public records requests, requests by email|0 Comments

From the Knoxville News Sentinel Editorial Board, on a bill to make public records access easier: A legislative effort to make it easier for Tennesseans to file public records requests deserves the full-throated support of all who value open government. A bill that would clarify what constitutes a written public records request recently received the approval of a key House panel and is on track to become law during this session. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Courtney Rogers, R-Goodlettsville, would require records custodians that accept requests for documents in writing “to accept a handwritten request submitted in person or by mail, an email request, or a request on an [...]

27 Feb, 2017

Weekly notice of House pre-meetings will help the public

By Deborah Fisher|2017-02-27T16:26:38-06:00February 27, 2017|Categories: Legislature|Tags: Beth Harwell, House committee pre-meetings, public notice|0 Comments

The schedule for Tennessee House pre-meetings will now be announced weekly on the General Assembly's website, as well as posted on hallway bulletin boards at Legislative Plaza -- a significant move that will allow the public and journalists to know when and where the meetings occur if they want to attend. Posted notice of pre-meetings, Bill Review, at Legislative Plaza Pre-meetings, also called Committee Bill Review, are held in lawmaker conference rooms, which do not have equipment for live-streaming. Though more informal than regular committee and subcommittee meetings, which are live-streamed and recorded, lawmakers, lobbyists and other government officials can discuss significant information about proposed legislation in the pre-meetings. [...]

20 Feb, 2017

HB 58 – Public records requests by email

By Deborah Fisher|2017-02-20T14:28:11-06:00February 20, 2017|Categories: TCOG letters|Tags: legislature, public records requests|0 Comments

TCOG letter, 2-20-17: HB 58 - Public records requests by email

16 Feb, 2017

With some pushback, House subcommittee passes bill to allow public records requests by email

By Deborah Fisher|2017-02-16T10:41:23-06:00February 16, 2017|Categories: Legislature, requests|Tags: public records requests, requests by email, State Rep. Bill Sanderson, State Rep. Bob Ramsey, State Rep. Bud Hulsey, State Rep. Courtney Rogers, State Rep. Darren Jernigan, Sumner County School Board|0 Comments

The House State Government Subcommittee passed with a voice vote on Wednesday a bill that would clarify the public records statutes to say that citizens could use email to send in their records requests if a government entity already uses email to conduct government business. The requirement would not apply if the government entity does not use email as an "official mode of communication" in recognition that some small or rural government entities may not have or use email. State Rep. Courtney Rogers, R-Goodlettsville The bill's sponsor, Courtney Rogers, R-Goodlettsville, said the purpose of the bill (HB 58 / SB 464) is to eliminate any ambiguity in the law, and [...]