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Transparency group warns committee that confidentiality for director-level applicants would "get rid of transparency"
Summary
A bill allowing applicants for director-level local government jobs to request that their names and materials remain confidential during executive-session interviews drew public testimony opposing secrecy for high‑profile positions and a divided committee vote to advance parts of the measure with amendments.
Chairman Moon (speaker 17) and sponsor explained an amendment to House Bill 26-16 that would permit applicants for director-level positions to ask that their application materials and interviews remain confidential during an executive-session interview, with records of the selected applicant becoming public once hired. The sponsor said the change aims to encourage qualified applicants who otherwise would not apply.
Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, testified that the bill "would actually get rid of transparency," arguing public selection of high‑profile positions such as school directors should remain open and that the measure as written would prevent the public from knowing who applied. Lawmakers debated scope (which positions would be covered), whether certain positions such as police chiefs are excluded because of pending litigation, and whether applicants could broadly opt out and thereby cloak entire searches; the committee voted to advance the bill to government operations with amendments but flagged concerns about excluding school director positions.
