Advisory Committee on Open Government Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

19 Apr, 2018

Bill to allow more meetings of Advisory Committee on Open Government wins approval

By Deborah Fisher|2018-04-19T10:58:08-05:00April 19, 2018|Categories: Advisory Committee on Open Government, Legislature|Tags: Advisory Committee on Open Government, Office of Open Records Counsel, State Rep. Bob Ramsey, State Sen. Mike Bell|0 Comments

The Advisory Committee on Open Government will be allowed to meet more frequently and at the call of co-chairs under legislation that has won approval from both the Senate and the House. Previously, the committee met only at the request of the Office of Open Records Counsel. State Rep. Bob Ramsey, R-Maryville, and Chair of House State Government Committee ACOG is a 14-member committee established by the Legislature in 2008 as part of open government reform. Its 14 members, equally representing government and citizen groups, are appointed by the Comptroller’s office. It also has three ex-officio members. The committee's purpose and duties include advising the Office of Open Records Counsel [...]

26 Jan, 2018

Senate committee to hear report on public records exemptions

By Deborah Fisher|2018-01-26T16:30:40-06:00January 26, 2018|Categories: exemptions, Office of Open Records Counsel|Tags: Advisory Committee on Open Government, Beth Harwell, State Sen. Randy McNally|1 Comment

The Senate State and Local Government Committee is scheduled to hear a report on exemptions to the Public Records Act on Tuesday. The House State Government Committee is also scheduled to hear the report at its Tuesday meeting. Lt. Gov Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge Last year, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) asked the state's Office of Open Records Counsel to conduct a comprehensive review of exemptions and produce a detailed list. "In the interest of transparent and open government, we would like to review this list in order to remove or place in sunset at least some of the various exemptions," [...]

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, [...]

4 Oct, 2017

TCOG urges Office of Open Records Counsel to update guidance on taking photos of public records

By Deborah Fisher|2017-10-04T07:18:04-05:00October 4, 2017|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel, Public Records, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Adam Yeomans, Advisory Committee on Open Government, Lee Pope, Office of Open Records Counsel, photos of public records|0 Comments

Tennessee Coalition for Open Government has urged the Office of Open Records Counsel to update its Model Public Records Policy and take quick action to stem a growing problem of government entities who are preventing citizens from taking photos of government records. See a copy of the TCOG's letter here: Taking photos of public records - Letter to Office of Open Records Counsel, 10-3-17. The letter was sent to Open Records Counsel Lee Pope from Adam Yeomans, who is vice president of TCOG's board of directors and its representative on the Advisory Committee on Open Government. The advisory committee is a 14-member group appointed by the Comptroller that provides advice to [...]

14 Dec, 2016

TCOG’s comments to proposed changes, additions to Office of Open Records Counsel forms, guidelines

By Deborah Fisher|2021-02-02T12:21:22-06:00December 14, 2016|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel, requests, TCOG letters, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Advisory Committee on Open Government, advisory opinions, Office of Open Records Counsel, open data, programming fees, public records requests, TCOG news|0 Comments

TCOG Letter on Proposed OORC forms 12-14-16. The Office of Open Records Counsel, in addition to creating a model public records policy, is proposing changes to the Schedule of Reasonable Charges, model forms and advisory opinions guidelines. In total, nine documents, including three new forms and two new guidelines, are under revision or are new. These documents are important because they provide guidance on what is allowed by law in the public records request process. The main changes proposed have to do with clarifying the public records request/response process. The office is also proposing that it have new discretion on whether or not to issue Advisory Opinions, which must be posted [...]