Image Credit: Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
Newly filed legislation aims to provide the public with greater access to government documents.
Senate Bill 0027 (SB0027), filed by Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga-District 10) would make it mandatory for governing bodies to provide the public with free access to meeting agendas and other supplemental materials at least 48 hours in advance.
Supplemental documents could include anything from contracts, ordinances, staff recommendations, and any other materials that were to be provided to members.
Gardenhire previously sponsored a bill that required local officials to record electronic meetings and make those accessible to the public. He says the new bill will “give everybody easy access” to government documents as well.
“I’m big on open records, and like to do what I can do help get everything out in the public,” Gardenhire told the Tennessean. “I’ve got a passion for this type of legislation – to make sure the public knows what’s going on and has a chance to react to it.”
Gardenhire believes that providing access to these documents will allow for greater transparency within the government.
Some concern was expressed that some rural communities may not have access to their own website. According to Gardenhire, that is not a requirement. The wording of the bill only states that the documents have to be made available; it does not specify a required format.
However, Gardenhire believes that utilizing an online platform for access would not only be efficient but cost-effective as well.
“If they don’t have (a website), it’s not hard to do,” he stated. “The cost of setting up a website and doing that is far less than having to make copies of everything and hand them out.”
The proposed legislation comes after some agencies across the state have required that residents complete formal records requests for documents as simple as meeting agendas. This process often makes it difficult to obtain those documents in a timely fashion.
The companion House bill (HB0023) is sponsored by Representative Jerome Moon (R-Maryville-District 8).
The Tennessee Conservative has reached out to bill sponsors for additional clarity on the bill, including whether the bill only applies to local governing bodies, but we have not heard back at the time of publication.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
