The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act , (FOIA), is pretty much the only tool a citizen of our State has to conduct oversight of its Government.
In the 2023 Regular Legislative Session, Governor Sanders began her reign, by on one hand introducing the Learns Act….while on the other hand supporting Legislation to take your Freedoms and Rights away that have been guaranteed to you since 1967 in the FOIA.
It started with State Representative Mary Bentley sponsoring House Bill 1610 which would have legalized secret meetings of governing bodies such as City Councils, Quorum Courts and School Boards.
Not to be outdone, State Representative David Ray and State Senator Breanna Davis co-sponsored House Bill 1726 which would have destroyed your current Freedoms and Rights to government records.
There was much speculation during that session that Attorney General Tim Griffin was actually the mastermind behind HB1726 as he sent his staff to present the Legislation with Ray, along with the fact that Ray was a highly paid consultant to Griffin’s campaign.
Citizens showed up in droves to the Capitol to show their displeasure for the Bills and thankfully both failed.
However, Senator Kim Hammer was able to sneak a law, (and I do mean sneak), into an education Bill that allowed School Boards to meet secretly on some matters that previously had to be done in public meetings.
In September of 2023 Governor Sanders came completely out of the closet with her disdain for the citizens’ rights to government transparency by calling a Special Legislative Session under the guise of tax cuts….paltry ones at that.
It took about 5 minutes for everyone to understand that her real goal was to bring more FOIA killing Legislation which was actually more damaging to your Freedoms and Rights than what was defeated in the Regular Session.
Mirror Bills were filed, one in the House by Representative David Ray (HB1003) and one in the Senate by Senator Scott Flippo (SB7). Both would have actually been even more devastating to our FOIA than the Bills filed in the 2023 regular session.
The reason for filing the mirror Bills was to help insure at least one of them would make it to Committee.
While HB1003 never made it out of the gate, SB7 went to the Senate State Agency Committee Chaired by anti-FOIA Senator Blake Johnson.
Much to the disdain of Senate President Bart Hester and Senator Johnson, the citizens again showed up in force, and while we did lose some of our Freedoms and Rights under FOIA, we were able to beat back the biggest part of the assault.
At the end of the Special Session, Governor Sanders and Senator Hester both announced that they were not satisfied with the Freedoms and Rights they had stolen, declaring they would be back for more in the 2024 Regular Session. Governor Sanders stated that the Special session was a start.
Hester went so far as to hold a press conference at the Capitol, flanked by Senator Johnson and a host of other State Senators, to announce he was calling on AG Griffin to form a FOIA Task Force to bring recommendations for Legislative changes to your FOIA.
Now the Legislature by law already has a FOIA Task Force but the problem Governor Sanders, Hester and Griffin have with that one is it’s designed to protect the citizens’ FOIA….not dismantle it.
Griffin quickly agreed and formed his Task Force stacking it with some of his staff members, Senator Davis and his paid ally Representative Ray.
So here we are….The 2024 Regular Season is around the corner in January and Governor Sanders, AG Griffin and their band of Freedom Thieves are coming again for your Freedoms and Rights in your FOIA.
The only two questions are –
1. What tactics will they use ?
2. Why are Republicans doing this ?
The 1st question I will hold my thoughts for now.
As for the 2nd well maybe…. just maybe….they are not really Republicans.
Have you ever considered that ?
#FactsNotFiction
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moc.oohay@nivac.eimmij
Professional Bully Fighter I investigate and report on issues around the State of Arkansas with an emphasis on Government. I am strong conservative however I bring Truth and Facts regardless of Party affiliation….My hashtag is #FactsNotFiction
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