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538 public records exemptions in Tennessee law

By JONATHAN MATTISE Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A report has found that there are now 538 exemptions to Tennessee’s public records law, about six times as many as Continue Reading...

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Does Tennessee have too many exemptions to its public records law?

This week, the Tennessee Comptroller’s office released a list of 538 exemptions to the public records law passed by lawmakers. Most of those — almost 450 — were added in Continue Reading Tennessee...

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Knoxville lawmaker’s bill to reduce transparency of college president, school...

The first of two bills filed by a Knoxville lawmaker that would allow more secrecy in the selection of school superintendents and college presidents is scheduled to be heard by Continue Reading...

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Tennessee lawmakers seek to close autopsy reports, findings

The House Health Subcommittee approved a bill Wednesday that would make autopsy investigation reports and findings conducted by the state and county medical examiners confidential. Speaking to the...

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McElroy: Making government-ordered autopsies secret hurts the public’s right...

(This is a column by Knoxville News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy that appeared in the news organization’s Sunday edition.)  Sen. Joey Hensley, a Republican from Hohenwald and a medical examiner,...

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Bill to allow more confidentiality for college president candidates awaits...

Legislation that would allow more confidentiality for college president candidates has passed the House and Senate and is now on the governor’s desk for signature. The bill, which includes an Continue...

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TCOG’s 2018 Legislative Report

Following is TCOG’s 2018 legislative report on changes related to public records and open meetings. The 110th General Assembly of Tennessee adjourned April 25. 1 – Selection of state college Continue...

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UT uses new exemption to keep confidential how much it pays investment, hedge...

Daniel Connolly wrote today in the Knoxville News Sentinel about how the University of Tennessee lobbied for a public records law exemption that is now being used to hide how Continue Reading Tennessee...

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Column: Opioid trial must be completely open

  In 2007, the state of Tennessee and 25 other states reached a $19.5 million settlement agreement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, who they alleged was violating consumer laws in Continue Reading...

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How much is AllianceBernstein getting in incentives? Sorry, that’s redacted

The Nashville Business Journal reported today that government attorneys believe it’s OK to redact information in a document put before a vote of Metro Nashville’s industrial development board. That...

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A tiny bit of light on the mystery of tax credits for economic development

Yesterday, I linked to a Nashville Business Journal story that looked at the news organization’s unsuccessful attempts to determine how much in tax credits — or even a range of Continue Reading...

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Beacon Center CEO Justin Owen on secret tax credits

The Beacon Center’s Justin Owen describes why it’s important that the value of all tax incentives, including tax credits, be disclosed when the government grants them to a private company. Tennessee...

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Does Tennessee have too many exemptions to its public records law?

This week, the Tennessee Comptroller’s office released a list of 538 exemptions to the public records law passed by lawmakers. Most of those — almost 450 — were added in Continue Reading Tennessee...

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NewsChannel 5 files suit after denied access to Jason Locke travel...

NewsChannel 5 has filed a public records lawsuit after it was denied access to travel reimbursement and phone records related to former acting TBI director Jason Locke’s alleged affair with Continue...

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Legislature’s Open Records Ad Hoc Committee to hold first meeting Aug. 14

The Open Records Ad Hoc Committee will hold its first meeting at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Cordell Hull building as part of an effort to review a growing Continue Reading Tennessee Coalition for Open...

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TCOG makes recommendations for vetting state’s public records exemptions

The new Joint Open Records Ad Hoc Committee, formed to consider the growing number of public records exemptions, held its first meeting today. The committee invited TCOG to make a Continue Reading...

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Why requiring a driver’s license to look at public records is often a waste...

Requiring a driver’s license as an unbending condition to access public records is like hunting dragonflies with a shotgun. It’s overkill.  Requiring a citizen to produce identification is almost...

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State agencies in full swing establishing public records rules

If you are journalist or citizen who makes public records requests to state agencies, now is the time to pay attention to the public records rules being developed regarding that Continue Reading...

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We need a new way of adopting exemptions to the Public Records Act

Earlier this week, I was grateful for the opportunity to make a presentation to a new legislative Joint Open Records Ad Hoc Committee that is examining the growing number of Continue Reading Tennessee...

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Open Records Ad Hoc Committee meets on Thursday

The Joint Open Records Ad Hoc Committee will have it second meeting on Thursday as it tackles a review of exemptions to the Tennessee Public Records Act. Last month, at Continue Reading Tennessee...

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