January 9 Legislative Breakfast
January 11 Board Meeting February 1 Pres/Knox Co Primary: last registration day February 10First day of early voting
Hello everyone!
Happy New Year! I hope your holidays have been filled with warmth and time spent with loved ones.
I want to thank those of you who so generously donated to our League. I promise your money will be put to good use! The board and I both take the stewardship of your donations very seriously. If you have not yet made a gift, we could still use your support!
For an example of the great things we have been up to and will continue to be up to in 2016, see the articles below on our privatization forums and the efforts of the state League who has made this one of their priorities. We’ll be continuing to pay lots of attention to this in the coming months and know you will too.
Please don’t miss our Legislative Breakfast on the 9th! For those of you who have attended in the past, you know what a great opportunity it is to interact with our Senators and get their perspective on the upcoming session. We’d love to have the chance to see you!
In League, Rynn Dupes, President League of Women Voters of Knoxville/Knox County
Audience gathers before 2015 breakfast at the Sentinel Building.
Meet Your Senators at the Legislative Breakfast
The annual Legislative Breakfast, co-sponsored by The Knoxville News Sentinel, will be held on Saturday, January 9, 2015 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. in the Knox Room of The Knoxville News Sentinel Building (2332 News Sentinel Drive, Knoxville, TN 37921). A continental breakfast will be served at the event and the public is invited.
Local Senators Richard Briggs, Becky Massey and Randy McNally have been invited to participate in a question and answer session regarding legislation of the 109th Tennessee General Assembly which convenes the following week. Key legislation includes the reallocation of surplus revenues and the regulation of marijuana and handgun permits. Discussion will also continue on InsureTN and the outsourcing of state facility management.
League members will have an opportunity to speak directly to our state senators about these and other legislation. Please join us for an opportunity to meet these legislators as well as other government officials.
Focus on Privatization Continues in 2016
Both LWVKKC and LWVTN are resuming efforts to bring public attention to the decision-making process and the need for transparency surrounding privatization. Locally, Jamey Dobbs and Lance McCold are considering forums on economic development, economic impact, and social services impact.
In December the state League sent a letter to Governor Haslam, with copies to top legislators, urging him to halt his program for outsourcing the management of state facilities, "until existing material related to privatization of state services is made public and a transparent decision making process is established, with "a mechanism for input from stakeholders, including legislators as well as the general public."
State League President Marian Ott also issued a media advisory which resulted in coverage around the state. In the advisory, she stressed that, "the League of Women Voters believes that transparency and open government are essential for a healthy democracy. The administration’s decision-making process should be transparent and deliver to stakeholders and the public the necessary and compelling evidence of need."
The letter and media advisory came about principally because of the leadership of our own Jamey Dobbs, with assistance from 2nd vice president, Lance McCold. This shows how League members in Knoxville can contribute to statewide efforts for better government.
At the League's second forum on November 30, we invited Deborah Fisher, Executive Director of the Tennessee Coalition on Open Government, to share what the Public Records Act says about requirements of government when it considers privatizing services.
Starting in 2002, the Tennessee law governing access to records of government contractors has been better defined due to several court cases. Access to records is important because it preserves the accountability of government to the citizens. One key concept to understand is "Functional Equivalent". In other states’ experience, privatized government services were being judged for whether they were actually a substitute, or Functional Equivalent, of a core government function. If so, they could be subject to Open Records laws. Tennessee has adopted this concept.
When private entities contract with the government, the public can gain access to records in three ways:
1) Under court rulings using the Functional Equivalent doctrine -- In 2002, the TN Supreme court ruled that private entities that contract with government can be considered a Functional Equivalent (FE) of government and can be subject to the Public Records Act.
2) Application of the Open Records Act amendment about disclosure of records of a private entity-- A 2008 amendment of the Open Records Act says that a governmental entity cannot avoid their obligation of disclosure by contracting to a private entity. This codified the Functional Equivalent doctrine.
3) Individual bills can be written to preserve records access -- A bill can say that the private entities are subject to the Open Records Act, or to the Open Meetings Act. When a bill is written, the language can preserve the access to records.
The Haslam administration is saying information gathered from its Request for Information (RFI) to contractors will be kept confidential because it’s an issue of ongoing procurement. The criteria in the future contract developed in coordination with potential contractors will not be revealed. This explains how they are interpreting the statute--working with potential contractors in advance of a contract doesn't yet qualify it as a contracted service.
By mid-January, LWVKKC will post video recordings of the two public forums and readings on our website to help inform those who could not attend.
By Jamey Dobbs
Voter Services Prepares for March 1 Primary
Voter Services plans to host three forums before early voting begins February 10, one for the Law Director and Property Assessor races, one for County Commission candidates in Districts 1, 2, 4 and 6, and one for Board of Education candidates in Districts 2 and 5. The committee is seeking co-sponsors, dates and venues. Watch the League website for updated voter and forum information.
LWVKKC Board of Directors
President, Rynn Dupes First Vice President, Judy Barnette Second Vice President, Lance McCold Secretary, Candice Gilreath Treasurer, Joyce Feld
Directors: Maggie Carini, Jamey Dobbs, Mary English, Linda Maccabe, Ginna Mashburn, Judy Poulson, Ann Strange
