TCOG

We celebrated with many friends TCOG's 20th Anniversary this week, honoring our founder Frank Gibson. Here are a few pics!

Are we ready for a new secret process to select school superintendents? knoxnews.com/story/news/pol…

Yet.... We're ending his term with a bill creating a secret statewide police agency. Gosh. I'm catching my breath.

“Tennessee taxpayers deserve a transparent and open government...Bill will lead a complete overhaul of our open records and open meetings acts to make government more transparent to you.” - Gov. Lee back in 2018

Feeling nostalgic as Gov. Lee recounts his term, including the COVID-19 pandemic. I'll never forget that year. Also will not forget that one of his announced priorities was to "lead a complete overhaul of our open records and open meetings acts." Scorecard coming later.

It's good to see this group meeting again. Next meeting is on Thursday: tcog.info/advisory-commi…

FOI Tip: Use patriotism. Public records belong to the people. Access is your right as an American. Transparency is the government’s duty. Remind agencies that open government isn’t just law...it’s freedom in action. #FOITip #FOIA #PublicRecords

I do so miss @natalie_allison. Just recalling her showing us the sock masks that Tennessee bought to give away to residents. The contract was for $8.2 million. It was just such an innovative idea! The masks even had a little "TN" insignia.

@tnnaterau How does Boring company make money on the tunnel? It can't be from fares alone can it?

The State Building Commission's executive subcommittee will meet on Thur to approve a lease agreement with The Boring Company for a state-owned lot on Rosa Parks. The lease is no-cost to the Boring Company.

In Las Vegas, the convention center authority paid more than $52.5M for one of the loops, but in TN, Gov. Bill Lee says it is 100% privately funded. Worth looking at the contracts/agreements. How does Musk even make money from this? tennessean.com/story/money/20…

Also, individual meetings between city staff and councilmembers to get their desired changes to a draft map also violated the Open Meetings Act, the judge said. That's a big win because it's a too-common method of getting consensus for a vote.

A judge finds that the Chattanooga City Council and its redistricting committee violated the Open Meetings Act when the committee held private meetings to develop a recommendation. timesfreepress.com/news/2025/jul/…

To understand what the government is doing concerning its major initiatives, we need full transparency. Taxpayers deserve it. tcog.info/tennessee-is-n…

According to this story by @samstockard, the governor's office says there is nothing in the state law that REQUIRES them to collect that information. But I would point out that there is nothing in the legislation that prevents them from collecting it either.

Unfortunately, I predicted this lack of data collection that will hide how many students already enrolled in private schools are getting the new $7,300 vouchers compared with students who NEED the voucher to help them leave a public school. tennesseelookout.com/2025/06/30/law…

Eugene Volokh has filed a First Amendment suit against the Williamson County Circuit Court Clerk and the county’s archive department over denying him access to court records because he's not a Tennessee resident. tcog.info/volokh-files-f…

Looks like federal court in Tennessee will be hearing this case… unsealed indictment today. Kilmar Abrego Garcia back in US to face charges of helping traffic 'thousands' of migrants - ABC News abcnews.go.com/US/mistakenly-…

The $1.5 billion in "refunds" that Tennessee decided to give to companies? “You can put the label of transparent on something, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely transparent.” johnsoncitypress.com/news/tenn-busi…

Note the refusal by the state to make public the new measurement values for the state’s health care monopoly for 2 years. NOT TRANSPARENCY: “Ballad Health’s hospital monopoly underperformed. Then Tennessee lowered the bar” tennesseelookout.com/2025/05/30/bal…

A state-appointed board that would remake Memphis schools would be exempt from Open Meetings Act under Senate bill tcog.info/advisory-board…

A new board that could strip power from Shelby County Schools would also be exempt from the Open Meetings Act under the Senate version. A secret school board? House version says the board has to abide by Sunshine Law. chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2025…