NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s administrationhas invoked executive privilege multiple times to withhold documents frompublic records requests, even though such privilege is not defined in thestate’s law, nor mentioned in its constitution.
Officials in Lee’s office say they are using it interchangeablywith a separate protection when documents are deemed part of the executiveoffice’s decision-making process.
Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition forOpen Government, says open government advocates worry that deliberative processexemptions will be used too broadly – thus making it difficult to know whetherit’s being used improperly without involving the courts.
