Vanderbilt Poll: 85 percent of Tennesseans think no fee should be charged to inspect public records
A Vanderbilt University poll recently found that 85 percent of Tennesseans think inspection of public records should remain free for citizens. Two lawmakers filed bills this year that proposed allowing governmental entities to charge fees, similar to the fees charged if a citizen wants to get a copy of a public record. While the law allows local government to charge for providing copies, it prohibits charging a citizen if he or she simply wants to view a government record without getting a copy. The Tennessee School Boards Association pushed for the bill, but lawmakers tabled the proposal so the issue could be studied over the summer. The Office of Open Records [...]