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
2008
July 3, 2008: Town ‘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 ‘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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