RCEC’s attempt to close meeting incites howls from media and citizens

MURFREESBORO - Rutherford County Election Commission (RCEC) Chairman Tom Walker attempted to violate state law by barring reporters and citizens from a public meeting on Monday night.

(Read first-hand reports from the Daily News Journal and the Murfreesboro Post.)

Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Chip Forrester called State Election Commissioner Mark Goins to register his concern about the behavior of the RCEC.

“I spoke with Mark Goins to make sure he knew about the Rutherford County Election Commission’s attempt to hold a secret meeting and ask that the State Election Commission rule that closed meetings are illegal,” Forrester said. “Goins told me that, while the State Election Commission cannot give legal advice about the Sunshine Law, he encourages county election commissions to confer with their county attorneys about their legal obligations. Goins agreed with me that the RCEC’s meeting should have remained open to the public. I hope that county election commissions heed Goins’ advice, consult with their county attorneys, and keep their meetings open.”

The RCEC met to determine the interviewees for the position of Administrator of Elections. Commissioner Walker said the meeting had to be closed to protect the privacy of the applicants. When the journalists refused to leave the meeting and told Walker that he was violating Tennessee’s open meetings law, Walker called the Murfreesboro Police to throw the journalists out of the room. Walker later backtracked on his threat and simply adjourned the meeting.

“We’ve got some crazy laws in this country,” RCEC Commissioner Doris Jones said during the meeting.

Chip Forrester asked, “Which laws, in particular, does Commissioner Jones think are ‘crazy’? As an officer of the public trust, she has an obligation to follow all the laws - not just the ones she likes.”

This is not the first attempt by Commissioner Walker to cloud the business of the Election Commission. Two weeks previously, Walker ordered Commissioner John Taylor to revise the minutes of the May 4th meeting because they contained too much detail. Taylor was eventually able to get the minutes passed in their entirety.

On Thursday, the Rutherford County Attorney, Jim Cope, announced that Commission Walker must turn over the applications for Administrator of Elections, in response to a request from the Daily News Journal. The applications were made public on Thursday afternoon.

“I applaud Jim Cope’s decision,” Forrester said. “Taxpayers deserve to know the qualifications of those applying for a government job.”

The attempt to close a public meeting is the latest in a series of attempts by Rutherford County Republicans to limit transparency in elections. Sen. Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro), instrumental in Tom Walker’s appointment as RCEC Chairman, introduced the bill to repeal the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act (TVCA) and stymie efforts to make Tennessee’s elections verifiable and secure. Thankfully, Sen. Ketron’s bill failed and the TVCA is on track to be implemented in 2010. Additionally, Sen. Ketron introduced the bill that folded the Tennessee Ethics Commission into the Registry of Election Finance, weakening oversight of ethics in the General Assembly.

“These events form a disturbing pattern. Under Republican stewardship, the Rutherford County Election Commission has attempted to hold secret meetings and throw out their capable and experienced Administrator of Elections. I call on the Rutherford County Election Commission to vigorously uphold the law, keep their meetings open to the public, and protect the sanctity of elections in Rutherford County.”

SEE ALSO: Statement from Rutherford County Democratic Party Chair Jonathon Fagan.

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