The Chattanooga members-at-large Unit of the League of Women Voters of Tennessee will continue its schedule of programs on Monday, June 15, with a presentation by Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Commission for Open Government, who will travel from Nashville to speak to the meeting about her commission and the "sunshine laws.”
Ms. Fisher will give an overview of citizen rights under the state’s public records and open meetings laws. The mini-workshop is designed to raise awareness of the laws, current events and how citizens can promote best practices in their local governments that preserve transparency. TCOG’s mission rests on the belief that access to government information, through public records and public meetings, is crucial in allowing informed citizen participation in a democratic society, said officials.
Ms. Fisher is the author, with Frank Gibson, former Tennessean reporter, of Keys to Open Government: A Guide to Tennessee's Open Records and Open Meetings Laws. She spent 25 years in the news media business as a reporter and top editor, including leading investigative teams and covering public policy. Since joining TCOG in November of 2013, she has reinstated its hotline for citizens and journalists, and increased educational outreach, including training for journalists, journalism students and citizens.
Interested individuals do not have to have to be LWV members to attend the program. However, the local unit is continuing to recruit members, and applications will be available at the meeting.
The monthly meetings of the LWV are now being held in the Training Room of the Business Development Center. Please park in the Renaissance Park parking lot across the street or use street parking, not the BDC’s lot.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization, open to both men and women, encouraging informed and active participation in government. For more information about the League of Women Voters, visit www.lwvtn.org.