TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Feb 19, 2024

A new opinion from Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti finds that a ticketing system being utilized by the Tennessee House of Representatives for public access to the chamber is allowable under the state’s constitution. The system, introduced at the beginning of the session, allocates one ticket for every lawmaker to give to a member of the public during each House session. Establishing a ticketing system falls within the authority of the General Assembly to regulate and manage access to the Capitol building, Skrmetti said. The system “would not run afoul of the 'open door' provision of [the Tennessee Constitution] because it would not close the doors to the public; it would merely manage public access to the limited space that is available," he wrote.