Clarksville Pushes to Remove Sunshine Laws for Local Tennessee Governments

Tennessee’s fifth-largest city wants all municipalities to be able to follow the same rules at the Tennessee Legislature and not the sunshine laws municipalities currently have to follow.

Clarksville passed its 2023-24 legislative agenda with an amendment to ask the Tennessee Legislature to make those changes for all local governments.

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Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Biography Series: Major Opinions by Justice Jeffrey Bivins

As Tennesseans prepare to head to the polls on August 4, where they will vote on whether to retain the state’s five Supreme Court justices, The Tennessee Star has completed a profile on each justice currently sitting on the bench.

Last week, The Star profiled Chief Justice Jeffrey Bivins.

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Attorney Jim Roberts Takes Victory Lap as Metro Government Found in Violation of Tennessee’s Open Meeting Act

Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. –  host Leahy welcomed Nashville attorney Jim Roberts to the newsmakers line.

At the top of the second hour, Roberts weighed in on his recent victory as the Metro government was found to be in violation of Tennessee’s Open Meeting Act statute. He contrasted his victory with the major league soccer franchise’s quest to take over Nashville Fairgrounds and described how with no contracts signed, taxpayers could get stuck with a large bill for the stadium should the MLS decided to leave.

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Gov. Lee Will End Use of Electronic Governmental Meetings After June 30

One hallmark for the pandemic scare in Tennessee has been the heavy governmental use of electronic meetings, facilitated by Gov. Bill Lee signing executive orders allowing them.

The meetings often were on Zoom or a similar format, and as the state began reopening, sometimes meetings would have participants both in person and participating electronically.

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Woman Reportedly Alleges Lebanon City Council Violated Tennessee Open Meetings Act

  A Lebanon woman says Lebanon’s City Council violated the Tennessee Open Meetings Act several times. This same woman, Lorrie Hicks, reportedly said the Lebanon City Council has barred her from entering a city council meeting. According to the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government’s website, Hicks wants city officials to…

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