Another new task force officially began today: the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Task Force met for the first time. According to Act 923 of 2017, the task force must consist of nine members representing government, academia, and the media. The members will report their recommendations to the legislature before each regular session about proposed additions and … [Read more...]
Why is the Press Now Against Openness?
The President established a bipartisan commission to examine voter fraud in May. The commission simply asked each state for a list of the names, party affiliations, addresses, dates of birth, the last four digits of voters' Social Security numbers, felony convictions, military status, and voting histories of all voters, if -- and this is the critical point -- state law allows … [Read more...]
Advocates of FOIA Shrinkage Proven Wrong Again
In the first state Supreme Court opinion to cite to the latest version of the treatise "The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act" (which I coauthored), Justice Rhonda Wood recently penned a solid decision interpreting the Arkansas FOIA. That decision involves a 54-year-old murder case. No charges had ever been brought, and none were forthcoming. Nonetheless, the police sought … [Read more...]
FOIA Still Alive and Well — Despite Legislature’s Worst Efforts
Is Arkansas’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) still in good shape after all the punishment it took from legislators this session? A story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette yesterday details all of the changes to the state’s FOIA this session. From the story: Before Arkansas lawmakers left Little Rock on Monday, they approved at least 10 amendments to the state's … [Read more...]
Top Ten Reasons That University Lobbyists Want SB 373
If you've been following the final days of Arkansas's legislative session, you know that taxpayer-funded lobbyists have been pushing hard to narrow the scope of the state's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) through SB 373. It's been an embarrassing session for state university lobbyists in particular, who explained to credulous legislators that FOIA-shrinking legislation was … [Read more...]
