Download Davidson County Chancellor Russell T. Perkins’ ruling in the TNInvestco open records lawsuit by clicking this link, courtesy of Tennessee Watchdog.

Davidson County Chancellor Russell T. Perkins issued a ruling minutes ago that records for the controversial TNInvestco tax credit program can be sealed for a period of five years by Tennessee Economic & Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber.

Here at Tennessee Watchdog, we believe bringing our readers primary documents from the public record is an important part of our job. Perhaps there is not a court case going on in Tennessee right now with more relevance to the future of government transparency than the suit to open the files on the TNInvestco program.

State attorneys argued in court today the law gives Economic & Community Development Commissioners Matt Kisber broad powers to seal public records in his department for up to five years if they are deemed “sensitive” and the State Attorney General’s office agrees. The assertion was made in first series of oral arguments in the open records case concerning the controversial TNInvestco program.

The state of Tennessee has filed dozens of documents under seal in Davidson County Chancery Court in its fight to keep records related to the controversial TNInvestco program closed to public scrutiny.

A day after Gov. Phil Bredesen unveiled a start new budget proposal in the State of the State address, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey delivered a message that Tennessee needs to “live within its means” during his First Tuesday appearance today

As promised, State Senator Mae Beavers put hearings on the practices of the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary (COJ) at the front of her committee’s legisaltive agenda this week.

The secret world of the Court of the Judiciary and Tennessee’s system of judicial accountability.

A damaging audit of the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission came out today, listing seven different findings.
The audit was a followup to a previous inquiry as to whether the ABC had control of its finances and was performing simple tasks like criminal background checks on applicants for a state liquor license. Overall, it seems the ABC [...]

During the last legislative session, the Tennessee General Assembly approved a new law enabling dedicated funding sources for mass transit in Tennessee four urban cities.