FOI Under Attack
Arkansas governor should veto bills targeting people’s right to know
Back in 2006 when Asa Hutchinson was on the stump for governor of Arkansas, he made a commitment to open government, vowing to veto any attempt to weaken the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
It seems that resolve is wavering.
Right now there are at least 10 bills pending in the Legislature to grant exemptions, extend time frames and otherwise poke holes in Arkansas FOI.
And Gov. Hutchinson, who won office in the 2014 election, says he will consider each on a case-by-case basis if they make it to his desk.
“I think all of the bills that I’ve seen thus far are designed for a specific purpose that makes sense. But I appreciate the press pointing out if there is too broad of an exemption that needs to be narrowed,” he said last week at a press conference.
That’s a far cry from the promise he made just a few years ago. And it’s not good news for the people of Arkansas.
One of the bills filed would exempt any public record an agency’s attorney has seen or commented on under the pretense of attorney-client privilege. That could, theoretically, shield darn near every government document from public view.
Another would extend the time required to produce “burdensome” records almost indefinitely after an FOI request.
Other bills would create limited exemptions for public schools, the State Capitol Police and the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections.
That’s not what lawmakers had in mind in 1967 when the FOI law was signed by Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller.
The people are best served when their government is open and aboveboard. Unfortunately too many elected officials and government agencies would rather act behind closed doors, far from the scrutiny of prying eyes.
Arkansas’ FOI law is among the strongest in the nation. That makes it one of the best defenses we the people have against government overreach. At one time Gov. Hutchinson recognized that. Now it looks like he’s not so sure.
We urge the governor to remember the words he spoke back in 2006 and put the good of the people over these legislative runarounds. Veto any of those bills that come before him.
It’s the right thing to do.