Audit: Some agencies are violating public records law

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A newly released audit has found that some government agencies in Tennessee are violating state laws requiring them to adopt a public records policy and make it available to citizens.

Public records advocates had hoped that the passage of a law would usher in a new era of government transparency. However, an audit by the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government said 15 percent of all government agencies that were contacted would not provide a policy.

The audit looked at 306 government entities in all 95 counties. TCOG’s survey found that some of those entities did not respond to repeated requests for the policy. In addition, TCOG found some agencies refused to provide their policy unless someone came to the office in person, and others agencies admitted that they had not adopted a policy.