Tennessee Open Meetings Act Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

28 Sep, 2020

AG’s office did not serve the public interest in seeking loophole to Open Meetings Act

By Deborah Fisher|2020-10-09T15:16:28-05:00September 28, 2020|Categories: Open Meetings, open meetings lawsuits, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle, email vote, Registry of Election Finance, Tennessee Attorney General, Tennessee Open Meetings Act|0 Comments

A Davidson County chancellor took much-needed action last week. She gave public accountability a boost and set the Attorney General’s Office straight on the Open Meetings Act. Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ruled on Friday that the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance violated the Open Meetings Act by holding an email vote — outside a public meeting and without public notice — to approve a settlement with a lawmaker, substantially reducing his outstanding fines. The finance board did this with advice of the Attorney General’s Office. So what happened here? Earlier this year, the Attorney General’s Office advised the Registry’s executive director how to get a vote — without a public [...]

24 Jun, 2019

Can a county commission require people recording meetings to stay in the back of the room?

By Deborah Fisher|2019-06-25T08:57:57-05:00June 24, 2019|Categories: Open Meetings|Tags: cameras, Hamblen County, Linda Noe, Tennessee Open Meetings Act|0 Comments

A recent policy adopted by the Hamblen County Commission stretches and may exceed the boundaries of a governing body’s authority in Tennessee to limit the ability of citizens to make video recordings of their meetings. In May, the Hamblen County Commission voted to adopt a policy requiring that anyone using “cameras, video equipment, and other recording devices” be restricted to the rear of the meeting room. “This will ensure that any recording devices and their operators will not interfere with the conduct of the meeting or hamper the ability of the audience to observe and participate in the meeting,” the change read. The policy was aimed at Linda Noe, a [...]

4 May, 2018

“Father” of Tennessee’s Sunshine Law dies at 91

By Deborah Fisher|2018-05-04T08:10:29-05:00May 4, 2018|Categories: Open Meetings|Tags: Sam Kennedy, Tennessee Open Meetings Act|2 Comments

The "father" of Tennessee's Sunshine Law died on Tuesday at age 91. His funeral is today in Columbia. Sam Kennedy, the former longtime publisher of The Columbia Daily Herald, served his community in many capacities, including in journalism, law and government. Sam Kennedy He served as General Sessions Judge and District Attorney for the 14th Judicial District, 1958-1965, when he helped organize the District Attorney Conference. He was elected for one term as Maury County Executive in 1992 (he did not run for re-election). He also held state roles including as a member of the Tennessee State School Board and the Law Revision Commission. But the center of his career [...]

9 Dec, 2016

Capitol Press Corps asks to discuss closed meetings of Republican caucus

By Deborah Fisher|2016-12-09T17:59:51-06:00December 9, 2016|Categories: Legislature, Open Meetings|Tags: Chas Sisk, legislature, State Rep. Ryan Williams, Tennessee Capitol Press Corps, Tennessee Constitution, Tennessee Open Meetings Act|0 Comments

The Capitol Press Corp has requested to meet with the House's Republican Caucus Chair, Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, to discuss an apparent change in policy where journalists are no longer allowed to cover caucus meetings. Chas Sisk, chairman of the Capitol Press Corps “Past practice — especially since Republicans gained supermajority status — has been that the meetings are open unless closed by caucus vote. If that is to change, we think it’s important for both sides to understand the rules of the road going forward,” wrote Chas Sisk, news reporter for WPLN and chairman of the Tennessee Capitol Press Corps, in a letter to Williams. “…Our fundamental concern is [...]

10 Mar, 2016

Open Records Counsel notes frequent open meetings problems in annual report

By Deborah Fisher|2016-03-10T10:04:57-06:00March 10, 2016|Categories: Office of Open Records Counsel|Tags: Office of Open Records Counsel, open meetings violations, Tennessee Open Meetings Act|0 Comments

Some of the more frequent open meetings problems heard by the state's Open Records Counsel include governing bodies failing to keep minutes or prepare them promptly, agendas that don't clearly indicate matters to be discussed, and pre-meetings by members of governing bodies followed by votes in an open meeting with no public discussion. Open Records Counsel Ann Butterworth The Office of Open Records Counsel and the Advisory Committee on Open Government is required by statute to file an annual report with the General Assembly each year. It traditionally includes the number of inquires received by the office each year, broken down into categories. It also has often included [...]