MURFREESBORO - On Monday, June 22, Republican Election Commission Chairman Tom Walker, even after being told it was illegal, attempted to violate state Sunshine Laws by locking out the public from this month’s meeting of the Election Commission. He even called police to escort our local press from the premises. Michelle Willard of the Murfreesboro Post and Doug Davis of the Daily News Journal were told to leave but refused, at which point Republican Chairman Tom Walker called Murfreesboro police. Ms. Willard reports:
Walker asked everyone, except commission members, to leave the Election Commission’s office on the Square. The Daily News Journal’s Doug Davis and Post Staff Writer Michelle Willard remained and confronted Walker on his request.
Walker was informed it is against state law to close a public meeting. He was then offered a copy of the Sunshine Law (T.C.A. 8-44-101), which he declined, claiming he does not care what the law is and is just trying to protect the applicants by closing the meeting.
State law says, “the formation of public policy and decisions is public business and shall not be conducted in secret.”
“We’ve got some crazy laws in this country,” Republican Commissioner Doris Jones said.
Walker was indignant in defense of his point, saying he didn’t think it was a violation of state laws to conduct public meetings in private. He said his concern was not protecting the rights of voters, but the privacy of the job applicants.
Walker then asked Davis and Willard to leave again. When they refused, he appeared to call the Murfreesboro Police Department (who never showed).
Post Publisher Mike Pirtle and DNJ Editor Jimmy Hart arrived on the scene with Pirtle informing Walker of the law and asking him to call county attorney Jim Cope for an opinion.
Walker pulled out his cell phone and made a call, while walking to the back of the building.
“If we can’t get this resolved tonight, then the meeting is adjourned,” he said.
He emerged several minutes later and said, “Meeting adjourned,” and stormed out the door without a backward glance.
What are Republicans attempting to do? Why are they knowingly violating state law? With Sen. Bill Ketron sponsoring bills to gut the State Ethics Commission and repeal the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act, what are they plotting to do behind closed doors?
Public servants should serve the public publicly. Period. This is not complicated. as for Ms. Doris Jones, what’s “crazy” is thinking that you can get away with it.
The GOP in Murfreesboro and across this state has tried repeatedly to deny people’s rights. Sen. Bill Ketron is treading on thin ice, and I’m glad the RCDP is keeping an eye on things.
“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is that enough good men do nothing.” - Edmund Burke
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““We’ve got some crazy laws in this country,” Republican Commissioner Doris Jones said.”
Yes, we do have crazy laws in this state. You can’t buy alcohol on Sunday but, you can bring a firearm into a bar. What the hell is going on in our state’s capital?
Should people who openly couldn’t care less about the laws that THEY deem crazy be making the laws that we live by? The way our state’s government is run is outrageous.
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