One bill expands public comment; another eliminates it

So far, two bills have been filed that affect the required public comment period that was added to the Open Meetings Act in 2023.

 One bill would expand public comment period, requiring governing bodies to allow members of the public to comment on items that are not on the agenda but germane to the jurisdiction of the governing body. Read more about this bill by Rep. Elaine Davis, R-Knoxville, and Sen. Adam Lowe, R-Calhoun.

 The other bill would eliminate public comment at county commission and city legislative body meetings for agenda items on proposed developments that substantially comply with zoning regulations. While members of the public would still be able to comment at meetings of planning commissions, they no longer would be able to address their elected officials who have the final say at the county and city legislative meetings. Read more about this bill by Rep. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown, and Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville.

Electronic roll call for House committee votes will replace controversial voice votes

For years, citizens and some lawmakers have complained that voice votes on bills in Tennessee House legislative committees reduce transparency and, sometimes, are unfair.

In a voice vote, the chair decides if he or she heard more ayes or nays. There is no vote count recorded, and no one really knows who voted how.

Senate committees don’t have this problem where roll call votes are standard for all bill votes.

The House adopted new rules on Thursday that require roll call votes in committees through an electronic roll call system similar to the electronic roll call system used for votes on the House floor. Read more about the change.

Tussle over secrecy of lethal injection protocol shakes loose some records

Two years after an independent investigation into the Tennessee Department of Correction’s mishandling of drugs used in executions, the department’s first instinct when facing questions by the news media was to keep its new lethal injection protocol for executions confidential. Read more.