They're fighting it tooth and toenail. They just don't want sunshine."
Public hospitals across Tennessee are quietly fighting a bill that would tighten restrictions on their ability to hold private meetings — local lawmakers’ response to Erlanger Health System’s closed-door discussions to award $1.7 million in executive bonuses last year.
“They’re fighting it tooth and toenail,” said state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill. Gardenhire said hospitals across the state have contacted him to protest the bill.
Rep. Todd Gardenhire talks about his immigration legislation during the Times Free Press sponsored Legislative Roundtable on Jan. 06, 2015“They just don’t want sunshine,” he said, referring to the state open meetings rule known as the Sunshine Law.
But other state lawmakers say they are worried it could place hospitals in their own districts at a competitive disadvantage.