Lawmakers seek to reduce public accountability

Our legislators are at it again. They tried to shove some bill that most Arkansans don’t want and don’t agree with past the floor and onto the governor’s desk. They got the concealed carry (House Bill 1249) law passed so that those with minimal hours of training can carry a gun onto college campuses all across Arkansas (except University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and sporting arenas) despite the fact that not one college supported it.

They also tried to gut the Freedom of Information Act. HB1249 did not make any sense at all, but it is easy to see where they are going with this other one. If the press and the people of Arkansas are denied access to certain documents pertaining to the legislators themselves, they would be able to breathe a lot easier. Special funds might then be distributed to pet projects (like Ecclesia College) with impunity. That bill (actually two) did not pass muster. Still the governor let one bill time out without his signature. Capital police are now exempted from the FOIA. Hutchinson said he didn’t like the broad language in the bill. Then why not veto it? So in essence, the Capitol police are the secret police. Yes, our legislators are a determined bunch when it comes to their own agenda, regardless of whether it is good for the people of Arkansas or not.

Here’s one that did not make it past the governor’s desk. They wanted to criminalize mass picketing in Arkansas, meaning they don’t like all these protests against the government. That goes against our freedom of speech, but hey, they don’t like to be criticized. If there is one place in the state that needs transparency, it is in the state Capitol building.

Don’t let them gut the FOIA! Make your voice heard, while you still can without it being a criminal act. STEVEN TRULOCK Fayetteville