Changes To Tourism Bill

The Republican controlled Senate in TN has made some changes to a bill designed to keep the state’s tourism records secret and out of the public’s hands. Last month, the House approved legislation to allow the head of the state’s tourism department to exempt any public records deemed sensitive by the attorney general – for ten years. Republican Governor Bill Lee backed the bill, but it rang alarm bells with government watchdog groups. Wednesday’s changes include allowing records to be opened before the ten year period if state funds have already been dispersed, the tourism event has concluded… or any involved contracts have expired.