legislature Archives - Page 3 of 13 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

20 Sep, 2017

State agencies urged by committee chair to allow photos of public records

By Deborah Fisher|2017-09-21T08:24:06-05:00September 20, 2017|Categories: Legislature, Public Records|Tags: legislature, Office of Open Records Counsel, photos of public records, State Rep. Jeremy Faison, State Sen. Mike Bell|2 Comments

(Updated 9-21-17 with quotes from the meeting, and more background on the development of the Model Public Records policy that allows government entities to ban photography.) Three state agencies were instructed to re-examine their public records policies that prohibit citizens from taking photos of public records during a meeting of the Joint Government Operations Committee meeting today. State Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville State Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, the Senate chairman of the committee, asked the Comptroller's Office, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to review their policies to allow citizens to use technology, like their cell phone, to take photos of public records. [...]

28 Feb, 2017

Email bill rolls one week in House committee

By Deborah Fisher|2017-03-05T14:47:46-06:00February 28, 2017|Categories: Legislature, requests|Tags: legislature, requests by email, State Rep. Courtney Rogers, State Sen. Mike Bell|0 Comments

A bill that would require government entities to accept public records requests they receive by email, if they already use email as an official mode of communication, was rolled a second week in the House State Government Committee. See Knoxville News Sentinel editorial: Bill would make public records access easier The email bill, HB58, had already passed out of subcommittee. An amendment was filed by the sponsor, state Rep. Courtney Rogers, R-Goodlettsville, to be considered during the full committee meeting. The amendment added a section aimed at what government entities have sometimes complained are frivolous requests. Here is what was added: (a) If a person makes two (2) or more consecutive [...]

28 Feb, 2017

Want to know your legislator’s voting record? Bill tries to make it easier

By Deborah Fisher|2017-03-01T04:08:53-06:00February 28, 2017|Categories: Legislature|Tags: D-Memphis, legislature, State Sen. Lee Harris, voting record|0 Comments

Are you interested in knowing your legislator's voting record? State Sen. Lee Harris, D-Memphis, and state Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, have proposed legislation that would make that much easier for the ordinary citizens in Tennessee. State Sen. Lee Harris, D-Memphis On Tuesday, Harris' bill, S.B. 322, passed a key Senate committee. It would require that the state "publish the voting record of each general assembly member on the official website of the Tennessee general assembly following the adjournment of each annual session of the general assembly." "As it stands now, in order to compile a legislator’s voting record, you would have to go to each individual bill to see how [...]

27 Feb, 2017

Editorial: Bill would make public records access easier

By Deborah Fisher|2017-02-27T18:18:13-06:00February 27, 2017|Categories: Legislature, requests|Tags: Knoxville News Sentinel, legislature, public records requests, requests by email|0 Comments

From the Knoxville News Sentinel Editorial Board, on a bill to make public records access easier: A legislative effort to make it easier for Tennesseans to file public records requests deserves the full-throated support of all who value open government. A bill that would clarify what constitutes a written public records request recently received the approval of a key House panel and is on track to become law during this session. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Courtney Rogers, R-Goodlettsville, would require records custodians that accept requests for documents in writing “to accept a handwritten request submitted in person or by mail, an email request, or a request on an [...]

20 Feb, 2017

HB 58 – Public records requests by email

By Deborah Fisher|2017-02-20T14:28:11-06:00February 20, 2017|Categories: TCOG letters|Tags: legislature, public records requests|0 Comments

TCOG letter, 2-20-17: HB 58 - Public records requests by email