Tennessee Open Records

Note: According to this study, Tennessee currently ranks 44 out of the 50 states in terms of its sunshine, very close to the bottom of a very dark basement.

Tennessee laws and court cases

Tennessee open records statute See 10-7; look under Misc. Provisions for request procedures.

Open Government Guide to Tennessee open records legislation by The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Tenn. high court: Police agencies aren't exempt from open-records law May 29, 2007

Letter Generator

Create open records request that conforms to Tennessee requirements

Exemptions

Document types exempted from public access.

Contacts (where to file requests)

(please add your suggestions)

Here is a good "how to" of public records by Angela Tant of The Pulse out of Chattanooga. The article also includes several state agencies' contact information: Watchdoggin’ the Government. (Published June 29, 2007)

Datacentral a resource to many of the public records available online provided by The Leaf-Chronicle of Clarkson, TN

Tennessee School District Directors

State Salary Database

The Bristol Herald Courier performed a salary survey of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee, and published the results here. They also summerize the process of getting the information in this article (12/2/07).

To see what other states have salary databases, click here.

Blogs, websites and resources that use open records

(add yours!)

Memphis Watchdog

Shelby Watchdog

Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

Tennessee Center for Policy Research

Taxing Tennessee

The Tennessee ConserVOLiance

Tennessee Comptroller Office of Open Records

Press

Head to Sunshine Review for the most recent open record updates in Tennessee.

2008

October 27, 2008: Editorial: Complacence breeds secrecy

October 24, 2008: Tennesseans distrust government on meetings, records

October 22, 2008: Handle records requests promptly, responsibly

October 11, 2008: State looks at ways to handle multiple record requests

October 4, 2008: Ensure public's access

October 2, 2008: 'I want to keep things flowing,' Bredesen says of records access

October 2, 2008: New TN rules call for charges on records search

October 1, 2008: Attorney: Client privilege trumps open records

September 22, 2008: Roane officials worry about court records

September 16, 2008: Open records officials heed comments from hearing

September 7, 2008: Labor charges complicate open records debate

September 3, 2008: Keep changes reasonable, Officials to discuss cost for open records

August 24, 2008: Three cases show necessity for open records

August 15, 2008: Advisory committee discusses fee scale

August 11, 2008: Campaign funds hard to track

August 11, 2008: Judge Reconsiders Public Access in Hoffman Murder Case

August 2, 2008: Central office staff for Sullivan school system operating without contracts

July 11, 2008: Letters to officials subject to open records act

July 10, 2008: State official: DeFreese's 'constituent communication' is public record

July 9, 2008: County wants another opinion before dropping records-retrieval fee

July 8, 2008: County should drop records-access fee right now

July 6, 2008: sevier county no longer requires fee's for review of public records

July 3, 2008: Town â€˜open records’ policy questioned

June 25, 2008: Records More Open

June 25, 2008: Recycling advocate demands landfill records

June 23, 2008: Changes to open-meetings law welcome, reasonable

June 19, 2008: Governor signs update to Tenn. open records law

June 16, 2008: Chancellor rules all superintendent applications are public records

June 12, 2008: City Considers New Public Record Policy

June 11, 2008: Roane employee's cell records public

June 8, 2008: ETSU records show careless accounting for two concerts

June 5, 2008: Libraries director, PBA duel over data

June 3, 2008: Collaboration brings forward-thinking law

June 3, 2008: Update fixes some problems in law, but more must be done

June 3, 2008: Progress made on openness, but vigilance must continue

June 3, 2008: New law balances need to know with use of government resources

June 3, 2008: Real sunshine missing from this patch job

June 1, 2008: FOIA Request Sheds Light On ETSU Activity Fund Accounting

May 27, 2008: Public wins a round for open government

May 27, 2008: 'Open' still means open

May 25, 2008: Victory for open records

May 23, 2008: Ombudsman office to begin work outlined in legislation

May 21, 2008: House, Senate concur on open records bill

May 20, 2008: MCS Administrators Accused of Breaking The Law

May 20, 2008: Saino Sues MCS For Alleged Open Records Violation

May 19, 2008: Korda: Will the public eventually need a shield law?

May 16, 2008: Open records bill better

May 15, 2008: Controversial provision stripped from open records bill

May 14, 2008: Notification requirement dropped from open records bill

May 13, 2008: Open season on open records

May 3, 2008: Open records under attack

May 2, 2008: Panel Evaluating Budget Refuses To Release Records

May 2, 2008: Officials denied request to hand over Tenn. tax data shown at public meeting

May 1, 2008: Senate approves bill to improve access to public records

May 1, 2008: Making open-records laws better is hard to do, but worth the effort

April 30, 2008: Editorial: Revisions set back public-records access

April 30, 2008: Revised open records bill moves forward

April 29, 2008: Pass Senate version of open records bill

April 29, 2008: Stand up for open records

April 29, 2008: Open records bill before the Legislature Tuesday

April 27, 2008: Open records are in peril

April 21, 2008: Amendments 'decimate' open records bill

April 18, 2008: Destroying files is bad public policy

April 17, 2008: Open records bill fine without changes

April 15, 2008: Legislators must reject attacks on open records law

April 15, 2008: Change to open records bill could cause â€˜intimidation’

April 15, 2008: Changes to records bill put burden on citizens

April 14, 2008: Don't water down Open Records bill

April 13, 2008: Revisions To Open Records Law Are A Bad Idea

April 13, 2008: Group: La Vergne records offer little details

April 11, 2008: Lawmakers show their open records hypocrisy

April 11, 2008: Tenn. open records bill revised in subcommittee

April 9, 2008: Fees, notification added to open records proposal

April 9, 2008: Campus checked for open records compliance

April 8, 2008: Exemptions erode Tenn. public-records law

April 3, 2008: Tennessee GOP seeks handgun permit database

April 2, 2008: Open records law set for changes

March 31, 2008: UPDATED: Expert says DeFreese correspondence subject to Open Records Act

March 31, 2008: State's public records aren't so public anymore

March 27, 2008: Don't slam door on these open records

March 26, 2008: Legislature weighs closing gun records

March 25, 2008: Think tank files lawsuit against state over records requests and their press release: Tennessee Center for Policy Research Takes F & A to Court for Public Record

March 22, 2008: Sen. Rick Boucher Was Only Lawmaker To Give Full FOIA Answers

March 17, 2008: Help Tennesseans get open records information

March 17, 2008: State open meetings legislation stalls

March 10, 2008: Open and shut: Legislature poised to make open-records law better, do nothing to help open-meetings law

March 8, 2008: Hart column: Gov’t officials closing off openness

March 7, 2008: Open government compromise would keep public meeting rules, tighten records laws

March 6, 2008: Senate panel advances open government compromise

February 15, 2008: Bredesen committed to open records laws

February 15, 2008: Open records law must improve

February 13, 2008: Open records changes would boost state's ranking

February 10, 2008: MATA hasn't turned over subpoenaed records

January 31, 2008: City must pay Sun for its legal fees

January 26, 2008: Judge hears lawyer fees case

January 18, 2008: Auditor seeks advice on privacy guidelines

January 18, 2008: Ruling: Hagler tape not public record

January 4, 2008: Give ombudsman more enforcement powers

January 1, 2008: Ombudsman office will reason with local officials

2007

December 30, 3007: Don't gut state's open meetings law

December 21, 2007: Community Watchdog Keeps Busy Despite Election Loss

December 19, 2007: Release of 'embarrassing' tape blocked

December 19, 2007: Order halts release of Hagler tape

December 16, 2007: A tug of war is shaping up over proposed changes to Tennessee's public access laws

December 11, 2007: Bredesen has right view of sunshine law

December 9, 2007: County mayor faces questions

December 4, 2007: Newspaper sues city over open records

November 28, 2007: Some Changes Approved To Strengthen Open Records Laws

November 28, 2007: Open-records changes offered

November 27, 2007:

HT to TaxingTennessee

November 26, 2007: Police turn over files in open records lawsuit

October 28, 2007: Push is on to close some doors on open meetings

October 24, 2007: Open meetings, open records: It's the public's business

October 21, 2007: Panel should work for greater openness  (Editorial)

October 14, 2007: State won't give stats on cigarette seizures

October 12, 2007: 12 Tennessee officials ousted by open-meetings ruling

October 11, 2007: Algood sets public records guidelines

October 8, 2007: Ethics commissioner overruled in move to defend panel to press

October 7, 2007: Work delayed, but panel to offer sound proposals

October 7, 2007: Lawmakers must recognize open-government principles

October 4, 2007: Statewide effect likely from verdict, more accountability, openness could result, observers are saying

October 1, 2007: Let's keep government accessible (Opinion column)

September 30, 2007: Judge rules arrest records to remain public

September 30, 3007: Why a candidate's past matters

September 29, 2007: Judge: Metro arrest records remain public

September 26, 2007: Make Sunshine Law more open, not less (Opinion column)

September 24, 3007: Panel: When is access excess?

September 21, 2007: Help Wanted - State seeks open records guru

September 13, 2007: City Stalling Release Of Public Records

September 10, 2007: Officials: Open records law can create havoc

September 5, 2007: City makes good on requiring written requests for records

September 5, 2007: No secrets on school donors (Opinion column)

August 9, 2007: Ethics commission approves 8-month-old records request

August 8, 2007: Denying access to court records could cut freedom (Opinion column)

July 31, 2007: Governor disagrees with plan to split open records ombudsman job

July 19, 2007: Police and Media Team Up in a Fight FOR Public Records

July 13, 2007: Ethics panel sets open government double standard

July 12, 2007: Records dispute heads to court

July 12, 2007: Professor, police argue in court over public's access to arrest records

July 9, 2007: (AP) Open government issues mar startup of Ethics Commission

July 6, 2007: Council approves increasing costs for records request

July 4, 2007: AG throws wrench in city's public-records plan

June 24, 2007: Gallatin doggedly pursues strictures on open records

June 17, 2007: State looks to fill open records ombudsman position

June 13, 2007: Open Records and Memphis Politics (Opinion)

June 10, 2007: Sheriff should give specifics on firing five jail employees Read the comments for additional points of view.

June 9, 2007: Dyersburg schools rework evaluations after records request

June 3, 2007: Ombudsman proposal still faces Senate, local government critics

May 30, 2007: Law enforcement investigatory privilege does not exist

May 23, 2007: Defending the public's right to know (Opinion/Commentary). Follow this link to see the video in question. Be aware, it is not easy to watch. Please be judicious in viewing.

May 2007: Not So Concealed Anymore Concealed carry permits and open records.

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