investigation exemption Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

TCOG lists 13 exemptions, exemption categories that need revision or elimination

By Deborah Fisher|2018-11-09T08:19:46-06:00September 30, 2018|Categories: exemptions, Public Records, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: economic development records, investigation exemption, investment records, lottery records, Open Records Ad Hoc Committee, prisons, private entities, public hospital boards, tax credits, TBI, University of Tennessee, vendor names|1 Comment

Tennessee Coalition for Open Government recently provided the Open Records Ad Hoc Committee 13 exemptions or categories of exemptions that are interfering with the public's right to know what government is doing. Deborah Fisher, executive director of TCOG "As you will see, many of the exemptions listed have problems related to overbreadth or vagueness that we suspect may exceed the public purpose of the exemption. We know that some of the considerations we are bringing forward were not part of the debate when the exemptions were passed by the legislature," TCOG's letter said. "While this list may not cover every exemption that impairs transparency in government, we wanted [...]

DA’s shutdown of public records on Gatlinburg fire goes too far

On Dec. 15, the district attorney for Sevier County issued a remarkable letter. In the most horrific disaster to ever afflict Gatlinburg, a firestorm on Nov. 28 swept into the city, killed 14 people, caused 191 injuries, and amid harrowing escapes to safety, damaged or destroyed 2,400 structures. Insurance claims have neared $1 billion. A woman looks over the rubble of her home in Gatlinburg on Dec. 3 (Source: Knoxville News Sentinel) But how government responded to the emergency — or in fact anything related to the Gatlinburg fire and the aftermath — is, in Sevier County District Attorney Jimmy Dunn’s opinion, part of a criminal investigation into [...]