legislature Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

7 Feb, 2024

Autopsies of murdered children would become confidential under bill passed by subcommittee
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Autopsies of murdered children would become confidential under bill passed by subcommittee

crime records, Legislature, Public Records

Autopsies of murdered children would become confidential under bill passed by subcommittee

By Deborah Fisher|2024-02-07T08:36:45-06:00February 7, 2024|Categories: crime records, Legislature, Public Records|Tags: autopsies, crime records, legislature, minors, Rebecca Alexander|0 Comments

Autopsies of murdered children would become confidential under a bill that passed a House subcommittee on Tuesday. TCOG testified against the bill, noting examples of when journalists, often working with extended family members, used autopsies to shine light on coverups and mistakes, including a child shot in head by Memphis police in a botched housing raid and child killed by his mother's boyfriend in Columbia.

3 Jan, 2024

Judge rules expenses related to legislative intern harassment exempt from public records law
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Judge rules expenses related to legislative intern harassment exempt from public records law

Legislature, public records lawsuits Tennessee, state records

Judge rules expenses related to legislative intern harassment exempt from public records law

By Deborah Fisher|2024-01-03T17:02:01-06:00January 3, 2024|Categories: Legislature, public records lawsuits Tennessee, state records|Tags: Brian Manookian, Chancellor Russell Perkins, legislature, Mayhew v. Wilder, public records exemptions, public records lawsuits, Scotty Campbell, sexual harassment|0 Comments

A Nashville judge said the expenses related to harassment of a 19-year-old legislative intern by then-state lawmaker Scotty Campbell are exempt from the public records law based on a House rule and a policy on workplace harassment. But Chancellor Russell Perkins refused to buy the state's broad argument that the General Assembly is exempt from the public records law.

26 Aug, 2023

Sexton faces First Amendment lawsuit for rule that led to expelling women for holding small signs
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Sexton faces First Amendment lawsuit for rule that led to expelling women for holding small signs

Legislature

Sexton faces First Amendment lawsuit for rule that led to expelling women for holding small signs

By Deborah Fisher|2023-08-26T15:28:37-05:00August 26, 2023|Categories: Legislature|Tags: First Amendment, legislature, signs, State Rep. Cameron Sexton, Tennessee House|0 Comments

State House Speaker Cameron Sexton faces a First Amendment lawsuit over House rules that bar members of the public from holding signs, including those on 8.5x11 pieces of paper, in committee rooms. Three women were kicked out for continuing hold their signs during a House Civil Justice subcommittee meeting that was hearing various public safety bills during the special session.

11 Jan, 2023

Big transparency move: Citizens get new public dashboard for House bills
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Big transparency move: Citizens get new public dashboard for House bills

Legislature

Big transparency move: Citizens get new public dashboard for House bills

By Deborah Fisher|2023-01-11T13:09:32-06:00January 11, 2023|Categories: Legislature|Tags: amendments, House bills, legislature, public dashboard, red-lined versions, State Rep. Cameron Sexton|0 Comments

In a major step toward more timely transparency, House Speaker Cameron Sexton announced a new public dashboard that gives citizens red-lined versions of bills and proposed amendments at the same time House members get them.

5 Jun, 2020

Bill would prohibit destruction of public records that are subject to pending records request

By Deborah Fisher|2020-06-05T19:41:49-05:00June 5, 2020|Categories: Legislature, records management, requests|Tags: county public records commission, Dana Beltramo, legislature, public records requests, records retention policy, State Rep. Mike Carter, State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, Times Free Press|0 Comments

The House State Government committee on Thursday approved a bill that would prevent the destruction of public records that are subject to a pending records request, paving the way for the bill to move on to a possible floor vote. State Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, presents bill that would make it unlawful to destroy public records while they are subject to a pending records request. The bill, H.B. 2578, was sponsored by state Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, who explained that a problem arose in Hamilton County last year when the Times Free Press newspaper requested records, and thereafter, the records were destroyed by the custodian before they could obtain them. [...]