ETSPJ is a Charter Member of the Tennesee Coalition on Open Government and has contributed to it every year since its creation by former National SPJ President Frank Gibson. ETSPJ Treasurer and past president Dorothy Bowles is a long-time board member and ETSPJ contributes support annually.
The motto of the Tennessee Coalition on Open Government, is: ”To preserve and improve access to public information” and the organization has done so through many activities, including lobbying the State Legislature and conducting citizen audits of government agencies’ actual openness.
See the 2009 TCOG Annual Report HERE.
Tennessee “Sunshine Law” “The General Assembly hereby declares it to be the policy of this State that the formation of public policy and decisions is public business and shall not be conducted in secret.” Title 8, Chapter 44 (T.C.A. 8-44-101-201)
In March 2008, thanks to efforts by director Frank Gibson and others, the state has added new resources for providing open records information and assistance to Tennessee citizens. They are outlined HERE..
Learn more about TCOG HERE.
[updated 1/22/10]
