NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s Republican-controlled Senate on Monday amended a proposal initially intended to keep the state’s tourism data hidden from public scrutiny, offering more sunshine to the way the state secures high-profile events.
Last month, the Republican Party-dominant House passed legislation that would have allowed the head of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development to exempt for 10 years public records deemed “sensitive” by both the commissioner and attorney general. are considered.
The bill, backed by Republican Governor Bill Lee, alarmed public advocates who argued that tourism data could be legally destroyed within that 10-year period and thus would never see the light of day.
In response, members of the Senate amended the bill to say that tourism data deemed “sensitive” could bypass the 10-year waiting period if the affected state funds have been dispersed, the negotiated event has ended, or the contract entered into by the state has been entered into, expires.
While there is still a chance that some documents could be withheld for 10 years, the Senate proposal also states that those documents cannot be destroyed during that period.
Still, some Senate lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with adding more public records exemptions.
“Any time we tinker with the open records law and allow exemptions for different parties and things like that, I think we’re going down a slippery slope,” said Sen. Todd Gardenhire, a Republican, who voted against the proposal.
Some Nashville Democrats also opposed the legislation, even as they recognized Music City’s main benefit in attracting high-profile events.
“What could be so mysterious that we are trying to hide?” asked Democratic Senator Charlane Oliver. “Why do we need a bill like this that doesn’t promote transparency?”
Ultimately, the Senate voted 23 to 6, with two other members choosing to vote “present.” The bill must now return to the House of Representatives chamber, where representatives will be asked to accept or reject the changes.
Tennessee statutes include more than 500 exceptions to public records, and there are even more in case law.
Lee had vowed to make the government more transparent when he took over the highest elected office in 2019, but so far he has not relaxed those exemptions since taking office.
According to data obtained by the Ministry of Tourism, officials have been discussing the possibility of hosting a Super Bowl for almost a year. In an email from the department’s director of research, Josh Gibson, other events the state has been looking at include a College Football Playoff championship, Wrestlemania and World Rugby.
Gibson wrote in 2023 that the state was considering hosting a Super Bowl in 2030 or 2031, but would not disclose how much a bid would cost the state. Meanwhile, he explained that hosting Wrestlemania in 2027 could cost $9 million in host fees and that a CFP National Championship match could cost anywhere from $15 million to $18 million in fees.
In addition, the tourism board also helped provide talking points to at least House of Representatives sponsor Republican Rep. Andrew Farmer on why the bill is needed, which highlighted a 10-year waiting period for releasing public records because “larger events, like the Super Bowl, are years in the making; therefore, these protections should remain in place for five to 10 years.”
The Tennessee Titans are currently working on moving to a newly enclosed stadium for the 2027 season.
The Nashville-based project carries the largest public price tag for a stadium at $1.2 billion, exceeding New York’s $850 million commitment for Buffalo’s new $1.5 billion stadium.
The new stadium has a capacity of approximately 60,000 people and has a translucent roof.