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Are Tennessee voter registration records public?

Update, 7-5-2017: I asked the Secretary of State’s Office about what voter registration records were available under the Tennessee Public Records Act from the state. They responded today to say...

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Appellate court reverses trial court, upholds attorney fee provision in...

The Court of Appeals on Thursday found a Lynnville city recorder was willful in denying a citizen access to inspect public records when she required an upfront $150, and remanded Continue Reading...

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Appeals Court: Records in Memphis police chief search not public

The Court of Appeals ruled this week that applications sent to a police association charged with interviewing and identifying finalists for a new Memphis police chief last year do not Continue Reading...

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Appellate court upholds ruling: Sumner County Schools violated public records...

The Court of Appeals has affirmed a Sumner County trial court’s ruling that the denial of a public records request because it was sent by email violated the Tennessee Public Continue Reading Tennessee...

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Would Gatlinburg fire records be released if not for citizen, media pressure?

After eight months of delay, officials with the city of Gatlinburg and Sevier County say they will release public records related to the November 2016 fire that killed 14 people. Continue Reading...

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Sumner County School Board blames the Office of Open Records Counsel for bad...

The Sumner County Board of Education blames the Office of Open Records Counsel for bad advice that led it on a journey of spending almost $250,000 of taxpayer money to Continue Reading Tennessee...

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Memphis, Nashville school boards resist giving student names to charter schools

Chalkbeat reports today that the school boards of Memphis and Nashville are resisting an order from state Education Commissioner Candice McQueen to give charter school operators a list of student...

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Newspaper probe of economic development reveals big gaps in transparency,...

The state’s four largest newspapers published an examination of local and state economic development programs and came up with this answer: Are Tennessee job subsidies a success? Secrecy makes it...

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

(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...

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Appeals court rules economic development organization subject to public...

In a win for a group of citizens in East Tennessee, the Court of Appeals in Knoxville ruled this week that a nonprofit economic development organization in Jefferson County is Continue Reading...

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TCOG urges Office of Open Records Counsel to update guidance on taking photos...

Tennessee Coalition for Open Government has urged the Office of Open Records Counsel to update its Model Public Records Policy and take quick action to stem a growing problem of Continue Reading...

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Memphis mayor proposes new open data policy

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says he wants “to take our transparency to a new level” with a new open data policy. Through the end of October, the mayor’s office is Continue Reading Tennessee Coalition...

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Resource: The state law that gives citizens the right to make photographs of...

I often get questions from citizens about whether a government entity can prohibit them from taking a picture of a public record. Often the person just wants to use their Continue Reading Tennessee...

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Delaying access to public records violates law, appeals court rules

Government entities cannot ignore the requirement in the Tennessee Public Records Act to provide access to records promptly and still be in compliance with the law, according to an appellate Continue...

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Tennessee Press Association calls on Open Records Counsel to ease ban on...

The Tennessee Press Association, writing on behalf of its 125 member newspapers, has requested that the Office of Open Records Counsel update its Model Public Records Policy to reflect that Continue...

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Chalkbeat: State is suing Nashville schools to turn over student directory...

Chalkbeat has provided in-depth coverage of the escalating fight over release of student directory information to charter school operators who want to use it for recruitment. The state this past...

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Broadcasters association advises Open Records Counsel that blanket ban on...

The Tennessee Association of Broadcasters has added its voice to the growing number of entities who have urged the Office of Open Records Counsel to revise its Model Public Records Continue Reading...

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TDEC clamps down on public records as tons of radioactive waste heads to...

The state has stopped allowing citizens access to how much low-level radioactive waste is going into landfills, according to a report by Nashville investigative journalist Anita Wadhwani in The...

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League of Women Voters of Tennessee asks Open Records Counsel to allow common...

The League of Women Voters of Tennessee has submitted a letter to Open Records Counsel Lee Pope, saying it was dismayed by the Office’s interpretation of the state’s public records Continue Reading...

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Senate committee to hear report on public records exemptions

The Senate State and Local Government Committee is scheduled to hear a report on exemptions to the Public Records Act on Tuesday. The House State Government Committee is also scheduled Continue Reading...

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