exemptions Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

17 Aug, 2018

We need a new way of adopting exemptions to the Public Records Act

By Deborah Fisher|2018-08-18T09:16:09-05:00August 17, 2018|Categories: exemptions, Legislature, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: caption bills, exemptions, Open Records Ad Hoc Committee|1 Comment

Earlier this week, I was grateful for the opportunity to make a presentation to a new legislative Joint Open Records Ad Hoc Committee that is examining the growing number of exemptions to the Tennessee Public Records Act. The committee is grappling with a potential review of exemptions, which the Office of Open Records Counsel says have grown to 563 after 25 news ones were added in the most recent session. Tennessee Coalition for Open Government made seven recommendations to the committee, but one of the more important ones is that our state needs a new way of adopting exemptions. Some exemptions don’t get enough scrutiny It's just too easy to [...]

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

Legislature’s Open Records Ad Hoc Committee to hold first meeting Aug. 14

By Deborah Fisher|2018-08-06T20:08:43-05:00August 6, 2018|Categories: exemptions, Legislature, Public Records|Tags: exemptions, Open Records Ad Hoc Committee, State Rep. Bob Ramsey, State Rep. Jason Zachary, State Rep. Jeremy Faison, State Rep. Raumesh Akbari, State Sen. Jeff Yarbro, State Sen. Kerry Roberts, State Sen. Mike Bell, State Sen. Todd Gardenhire|0 Comments

The Open Records Ad Hoc Committee will hold its first meeting at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Cordell Hull building as part of an effort to review a growing list of exemptions to the public records act. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Beth Harwell formed the committee in June after a report showed the number of statutory exemptions to Tennessee Public Records Act had grown to 538. State Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, is the House chairman of the joint Open Records Ad Hoc Committee, which was formed after a report showed the number of statutory exemptions to the public records law had grown to 538. [...]

17 Apr, 2018

Bill to allow more confidentiality for college president candidates awaits governor’s signature

By Deborah Fisher|2018-04-17T11:46:33-05:00April 17, 2018|Categories: exemptions, Legislature|Tags: Bill Haslam, college president selection, exemptions, higher education, State Rep. Harry Brooks, University of Tennessee|1 Comment

Legislation that would allow more confidentiality for college president candidates has passed the House and Senate and is now on the governor's desk for signature. The bill, which includes an automatic repeal in three years, expands an exemption in state law that already allows names and applications of college presidents to be confidential except for "no less than three" finalists selected by a search committee. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam The change allows a search committee to select "up to three" instead. The effect is that college search committees now have the option of recommending to a governing board as few as one person as finalist for president. Only [...]

16 Feb, 2018

Knoxville lawmaker’s bill to reduce transparency of college president, school superintendents selection is up for consideration Tuesday

By Deborah Fisher|2018-02-16T11:48:59-06:00February 16, 2018|Categories: exemptions, Legislature|Tags: college president selection, exemptions, State Rep. Harry Brooks, superintendent selection|1 Comment

The first of two bills filed by a Knoxville lawmaker that would allow more secrecy in the selection of school superintendents and college presidents is scheduled to be heard by the the House Education and Administration Planning Subcommittee on Tuesday. State Representative Harry Brooks, R-Knoxville Harry Brooks, R-Knoxville, proposes to eliminate provisions in the law that require an open process and replace them with language that would give school boards and governing boards of state colleges and universities the option of keeping confidential applicant names until a single finalist has been selected. Currently, governing bodies of the state's colleges, including University of Tennessee, must allow the public to [...]