Legislative panel passes invoice permitting some secret board gatherings, however even worse invoice goes down

First, the excellent news: A Home committee has rejected a invoice that an opponent has stated would disembowel the Arkansas Freedom of Info Act.

The vote Wednesday on House Bill 1726, sponsored by Republican David Ray of Maumelle, would have ended public entry to many, if not most, of the general public paperwork now obtainable below the FOI  Act. It additionally would have made the method of getting these paperwork costlier for residents to acquire — an insult since our tax cash already funds these native and state businesses and their workers’ salaries.

The Home State Companies and Governmental Affairs Committee defeated the invoice on a 10-5 roll-call vote, in keeping with an intensive report right this moment within the Arkansas Advocate. There’s no paywall to read the article.

The unhealthy information is that the committee accepted one other public secrecy invoice, a barely amended model HB1610, sponsored by Republican Mary Bentley of Perryville. The invoice now would enable secret gatherings of public boards so long as no more than a 3rd of the members are current. These gatherings wouldn’t be thought-about conferences. The complete Home subsequent will think about the invoice, and let’s hope the opposition is powerful sufficient that this unhealthy invoice additionally goes down.

Though Republicans sponsored each of those measures, there are many different Republicans in addition to Democrats who’ve vocally opposed them as a result of each payments would take away from the general public’s proper to know what’s occurring with our tax cash.

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