Bill Expanding Citizen Input At Public Meetings Passes In Tennessee House

On Monday, a bill to expand the First Amendment rights of Tennesseans who wish to speak at public meetings passed on the House floor by a 60-30 vote.

Last year, Rep. Elaine Davis (R-Knoxville-District 18) carried legislation that mandated citizens be allowed to speak on agenda items at all meetings of public governing bodies.

This year’s House Bill 22 (HB0022), also sponsored by Rep. Davis, is an expansion on her previous legislation.

HB0022 seeks to remedy the “agenda item” loophole in current law by giving constituents the right to speak on any topic in front of the public governing body, as long as the constituent is addressing “any matter germane to the jurisdiction of the governing body.”