5 6
Leeming, former editor of Hot Springs Village Voice dies at 84
Guest Column:
Informed citizenry By Pam Lowe
Arkansas Press Association
Publisher Weekly Vol.18 | No. 11 | Thursday, March 16, 2023 | Serving Press and State Since 1873
FOIA advocates get big victory on open meetings law during busy National Sunshine Week at State Capitol A busy but difficult week at the State Capitol ended with a huge victory for a coalition of Freedom of Information Act advocates in Arkansas amid “Sunshine Week” activities across the state and nation. In an all-day hearing before the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee, House Bill 1610 by Rep. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, and Sen. John. Payton, R-Wilburn, was rejected in a voice vote at the end of an all-day hearing. That bill would have amended the Arkansas FOIA law’s definition of a public meeting by adding the words “of a quorum” into the statute. That bill was first brought before the House panel late Wednesday morning, but debate on the one-page proposal lasted until after 5 p.m. that evening following the lower chamber’s daily floor hearing. After testimony from eight FOIA advocates representing APA, the Arkansas FOIA Coalition, the legislature-
appointed FOIA Task Force and other groups and individuals, several lawmakers asked Bentley to pull the bill down and negotiate an agreement with the APA and other FOIA groups. She adamantly refused, and the House panel rejected the measure as several FOIA advocates cheered. “This has been a busy and exhausting week for us, and I’m glad we were able to defeat HB 1610, which would have really undermined the open meeting requirements of the Arkansas FOIA going all the way to 1967,” APA Executive Director Ashley Wimberley said after Wednesday’s marathon meeting. “We achieved a lot this week in making sure that we continue to have one of the best FOIA laws in the United States.” Earlier on Tuesday Senate Bills 380, 381 and 382 by Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale saw mixed results during more than two hours of debate before the Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee. All three bills, supported by
the APA and the state FOIA Coalition and Task Force, would expand and improve the state’s highly regarded FOIA enacted into law in 1967. The first FOIA-related bill debated before the Senate panel for an hour would require custodians of public records and documents to respond to FOI requests in writing within three working days, even if no records were available. Senate Bill 380 would also require a custodian to communicate if responsive records exist with legal exemptions and to identify the proper owner of the requested public records – all within the three-day window. After Clark tagged on an amendment to clarify language in the bill, Fort Smith Attorney and FOIA advocate Joey McCutchen introduced the two-page measure as “straight-forward” legislation to make government more open and transparent. “FOIA is known as the people’s law, and this bill is designed to allow records to be accessed in accordance with the spirit of the legislative intent of the (law),” said McCutcheon, who was representing the Arkansas Transparency in Government Group. After more than a half-dozen other FOIA advocates came to the podium to speak in support of SB 380, Arkansas Advocate Editor-in-Chief Sonny Alvarado ended testimony by noting that the Arkansas FOIA law signed over 55 years ago is still generally considered one of the strongest and best models for open government in the United States. Continued on Page 2