This part of the site is still under construction.

Various decisions and rules of the Tennessee Supreme Court and rulings by the state Court of Appeals have shaped the state’s public meetings and open records laws.

For many years before the late 1980s, there was little “case law” on the records and “sunshine” law, but several opinions since have both improved in some respects and weakened the state’s open government laws.

It was a Court of Appeals decision that found another section of the Tennessee Constitution gave the legislature the power to set its own rules, including being exempt from the “open meetings” law, if it so chose.

Another changes the definition of “public record” from being simply documents to “public information” in electronic forms.

In coming weeks, TCOG will compile and post a collection of those decisions purely for informational purposes. We do not provide legal advice, just what the General Assemblies have determined to be the policy of the state and how the courts have interpreted those decisions.

For legal advice, you should consult a qualified and licensed attorney.

Stay tuned for updates on this section of the site.