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APA Legislative Review
ARKANSAS
Ar kansas
PRESS
Publisher Weekly
Vol. 14 | No. 15 | Thursday, April 11, 2019
ASSOCIATION
Serving Press and State Since 1873
Arkansas General Assembly wraps up 2019 session APA lauds student journalist, transparency bills; fights attacks on public notices
The Arkansas General Assembly expanded the rights of student journalists and increased public accessibility to government meetings in a productive legislative session for the newspaper industry. The Legislature concluded its business on Wednesday.
easier for court challenges on invasion of privacy and false light claims. The proposal, Senate Bill 230 by Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, stalled in Senate committee and was eventually withdrawn by the sponsor.
The newspaper industry’s victories included a compromise on legislation that would have allowed cities, counties and schools to publish construction bidding notices only on websites. The Arkansas Press Association and allies also turned back a proposal to weaken competitive bidding requirements for municipalities.
APA members had a substantial influence on other bills through their calls, emails and meetings with legislators. For example, two efforts to exempt from the state’s Freedom of Information Act the names of winners of lottery jackpots were unsuccessful. This was largely due to strong pushback from organizations like the Arkansas Broadcasters Association and APA.
“We will remember the 92nd General Assembly as one in which the Arkansas Press Association and our supporters took a stand for transparency, for the rights of journalists and for ensuring that newspapers remain the primary vehicle for public notices,” said APA Executive Director Ashley Wimberley. “We greatly
appreciate the help of friends and supporters who worked with us to block or change bad legislation and who reached out to members of the Legislature to ensure our voices were heard.” Testimony from Christoph Keller and John Tull, attorneys for APA, and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Managing Editor David Bailey helped derail a bill that would have made it significantly
Wimberley said the association will begin developing immediately a plan for the 2021 session, based on trends and legislative feedback this year. The 2021 General Assembly will be particularly important for the industry. Trade associations like the Continued on Page 2
Legislature gives key victories to student journalists Student journalists at Arkansas’s public high schools, colleges and universities were big winners during this legislative session, as bills to enhance free-speech protections for student journalists were passed by the House and Senate.
It allows student journalists solely to select the news, editorial and advertising content of publications without fear of interference from school administrators. It also protects student media advisors from retaliation based on student speech.
Act 395 of 2019 was signed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in March. Sponsored by Rep. Mark Lowery, R-Maumelle, the act extends to student journalists at highereducation institutions the protections of the Arkansas Student Publications Act.
Gov. Hutchinson told the Student Press Law Center after signing the act: “Freedom of the press is one of our foundational freedoms. Student journalists at colleges and universities have the same right to freely gather information as any other
journalist. The freedom of the press that our Constitution guarantees does not limit that freedom by age.” HB 1432 by Rep. Julie Mayberry, R-East End, improves the Arkansas Student Publications Act to ensure that the right of a student journalist at a high school is guaranteed by the First Amendment. It updates the Act, first enacted in 1995, to cover all student media rather than just publications. Mayberry’s original bill would have provided the same protection to high Continued on Page 3