legislature Archives - Page 12 of 13 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

12 Feb, 2014

Tennessean editorial asks “Sexual assault privacy bill: protecting victims or those in power?”

By Deborah Fisher|2014-04-09T16:48:42-05:00February 12, 2014|Categories: crime records, exemptions|Tags: crime records, legislature, Open Records Act exemptions, sexual assault records, The Tennessean|0 Comments

The Tennessean publishes an editorial against proposed legislation that exempts parts of sexual assault crime records from the public records law. The editorial is reprinted here with permission: State legislation backed by Metro Nashville, supposedly to protect the privacy of victims of sexual assault, has many implications for our state, but helping rape victims is not among them. Senate Bill 2254 is first and foremost an attempt to intimidate news media organizations throughout Tennessee, as they pursue a lawsuit against Metro over its refusal to release records in the rape investigation involving former Vanderbilt University football players. The Tennessean is among the news organizations that filed the suit last week. But [...]

12 Feb, 2014

The Tennessean: Bill would shield ID and personal information of rape victims

By Deborah Fisher|2014-04-09T16:49:44-05:00February 12, 2014|Categories: crime records, exemptions, Legislature|Tags: crime records, legislature, Open Records Act exemptions, sexual assault records|0 Comments

A Feb. 10 story by The Tennessean's crime and courts reporter Brian Haas, reprinted here with permission: Proposed state legislation pushed by Metro Nashville could hide information on rape cases from the public and prevent defense attorneys from discussing key evidence with their clients. Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, R-Knoxville, filed the bill at the behest of Metro’s legal department. The bill, if passed, would shield the identity and personal information of rape victims. But, as written, critics say it could not only turn rape into an “invisible crime,” but could also interfere with a defendant’s right to a fair trial by preventing attorneys from discussing key evidence with their clients. [...]

10 Feb, 2014

Two lawmakers receive TPA’s open government award

By Deborah Fisher|2014-04-09T16:50:30-05:00February 10, 2014|Categories: Legislature|Tags: legislature, open government, Tennessee Press Association|0 Comments

Tennessee state Sen. Ken Yager, a Harriman Republican and chairman of the Senate State and Local Government Committee, and state Rep. Ryan Haynes, R-Knoxville, receive the Tennessee Press Association's 2014 Open Government Award. They are pictured here with TPA President Lynn Richardson. Two legislative leaders from East Tennessee are the 2014 recipients of the Tennessee Press Association’s coveted “Open Government Award.” The awards were presented to Sen. Ken Yager, a Harriman Republican and chairman of the Senate State and Local Government Committee, and Rep. Ryan Haynes, R-Knoxville, on Feb. 6 at TPA’s Convention and Winter Institute in Nashville. Haynes chairs the House State Government Committee. TPA President Lynn [...]

4 Feb, 2014

How does your local government stack up in transparency?

By Deborah Fisher|2014-04-09T16:54:09-05:00February 4, 2014|Categories: transparency|Tags: government transparency initiatives, government websites, legislature|0 Comments

Back in October, a report chock full of information about transparency in local and state governments was released by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. Specifically, the report examined public information and data posted on state government websites, as well as sampled several county, city and school system websites for the same. The study had been requested following two bills in 2012 that sought to require state and local governments, including school districts, to post more and specific information on their websites. There were both terrific examples of transparency initiatives as well as some results that might be downright exasperating in the Internet age. The examples from other states [...]

27 Jan, 2014

An early look at bills that could reduce transparency
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An early look at bills that could reduce transparency

Legislature

An early look at bills that could reduce transparency

By Deborah Fisher|2014-04-09T16:57:36-05:00January 27, 2014|Categories: Legislature|Tags: legislature, Open Records Act exemptions, public notice|0 Comments

With the legislative session under way, the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government is tracking proposed bills that could reduce government transparency, as well as some that could make government more open. Lawmakers have until Feb. 5 to file bills, so the list could grow. Two bills would add broad new exceptions to the public records law. One, (S.B. 2254) by state Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, R-Knoxville, would make confidential the names, addresses and telephone numbers of sexual assault victims. The bill as introduced, goes further with this blanket language: “No portion of any report, paper, picture, photograph, video, court file, or other document in the custody or possession of any [...]