A citizen cut short at the state Capitol?

During the recent Arkansas General Assembly we were constantly told to, “telephone your congressman,” “write your legislator,” “talk to your senator.” So, on Wednesday, March 15, I got in my car and headed to the Capitol at 5 o’clock in the morning. On that day, a legislative House committee was scheduled to vote on a “do pass” or “don’t pass” on Senate Bill 373.

Because I am the chairman of the Benton County chapter of Transparency in Government we are adamantly against any proposal that would water down the current provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. The term often applied to SB373 is that it would “gut” the provisions of FOIA.

Starting at 10 a.m., speakers went one after the other to the microphone to plead their case “For” or “Against” the various bills as they were announced. This went on until noon for a lunch break and then picked up again about 3 p.m.

Finally, at approximately 5:28 p.m., SB373 was announced and my name was called to speak. Chairman of the committee, Rep. Bob Ballinger, had been presiding over the meeting all day but handed the gavel over to his co-chairman. Rep. Ballinger took a seat at a microphone right next to me.

About two paragraphs into my presentation, the co-chairman told me, “I hate to interrupt you, but we are pressed for time, could you please stay on the bill. We are really pressed for time here.” All day, the committee was very courteous to all the speakers and no one else was ever interrupted and asked to shorten his speech or to stay on subject. Because I was the oldest person in the room and I had driven the farthest, I felt like they should have cut me some slack.

Before I spoke, Rep. Ballinger, the House sponsor of SB373, was allowed to speak at length his reasons for being “For” the bill. If we were pressed for time, why didn’t he shorten his presentation? JIM PARSONS Bella Vista