A Quick Glance at Anti-FOIA Bills
Help save our ability – and our legal right – to request FOIA’s!
There has been a total onslaught of offensive bills hurled against us this session to BLOCK INFORMATION so it can be hidden away from the public, from the media, and even from your own attorney! We need transparency! Vote NO on all legislation that changes the FOIA and reduces transparencies.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that provides the public the right to request access information from agencies, county government, municipal government, state government and public schools.
The Arkansas Freedom of information Act (FOIA) is one of the most comprehensive and strongest open-records and open meetings laws in the country.
Arkansas Freedom of Information Handbook 17th Edition, December 2015
25-19-101. Title.
This chapter shall be known and cited as the “Freedom of Information Act of 1967.”
25-19-102. Legislative intent.
It is vital in a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner so that the electors shall be advised of the performance of public officials and of the decisions that are reached in public activity and in making public policy. Toward this end, this chapter is adopted, making it possible for them or their representatives to learn and to report fully the activities of their public officials.
The Freedom Of Information Act (you can find the FOIA in both the state and federal government) is under great attack. Just look at the mega list of them on the Arkansas Legislature’s website. Can you see how our state legislative sponsors incrementally run this blockade together? The legislators sponsoring these bills want to “amend” our Arkansas State Constitution. Good grief! Most of the legislators have spent this entire 2017 session trying to “amend” something or another in our state constitution and our U.S. Constitution!
They want to change, amend, restructure, and do their evil bidding on the good people of Arkansas! Rise up! It’s time to stop letting these rascals get away with chipping away at our liberties and freedoms! We are drowning in damaging legislation, and you have to help with your emails and phone calls, please! Enough is enough!
If the Arkansas public doesn’t rise up in outrage rather quickly, then information that used to be fairly easy to obtain can be sealed off from those of us that may need to look closer into this diabolical governmental system! The FOIA is one of the best research tools ever, and they want to take that away from us. They want to “amend” it!
We’ll be addressing 3 bad bills that are coming up at the Arkansas Capitol, and we have bullet-pointed them below. (We only have time for a few more. There are many more bad bills, though.) As we’ve previously done, any legislator whose name is in red font is an ALEC member.
- HB 1622 Will be heard in the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs on Friday, February 24, 2017 9:00 a.m, Room 151, Arkansas State Capitol
AN ACT TO CREATE A PROCEDURE FOR ADDRESSING UNDULY BURDENSOME REQUESTS FOR DISCLOSURE UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; TO CREATE AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Sponsored by Rep. Bob Johnson and Senator Jane English.
Secure Arkansas' comments: This FOIA bill allows agencies to refuse to produce documents or files for an indefinite period of time because it poses a substantial burden. That’s just too bad! Again, we NEED transparency!
ACTION REQUIRED: Contact the members of this House committee by phone and email, and tell them to VOTE NO on HB 1622 because it allows agencies to refuse to produce documents or files for an indefinite period of time, but this reduces transparency!
charlotte.douglas@
trevor.drown@arkansashouse.org
kenneth.ferguson@
michelle.gray@arkansashouse.
brandt.smith@arkansashouse.org
james.sturch@arkansashouse.org
|
Title |
Name |
Phone |
|
District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Representative |
Bob Ballinger, Chair |
97 |
||
|
Representative |
Jack Ladyman, Vice Chair |
59 |
||
|
Representative |
Andy Davis |
31 |
||
|
Representative |
Jim Dotson |
93 |
||
|
Representative |
Charlotte V. Douglas |
75 |
||
|
Representative |
Trevor Drown |
68 |
||
|
Representative |
Jon S. Eubanks |
74 |
||
|
Representative |
Kenneth B. Ferguson |
16 |
||
|
Representative |
Justin Gonzales |
19 |
||
|
Representative |
Michelle Gray |
62 |
||
|
Representative |
Kim Hammer |
28 |
||
|
Representative |
Kim Hendren |
92 |
||
|
Representative |
Douglas House |
40 |
||
|
Representative |
Josh Miller |
66 |
||
|
Representative |
Warwick Sabin |
33 |
||
|
Representative |
Brandt Smith |
58 |
||
|
Representative |
James Sturch |
63 |
||
|
Representative |
Dwight Tosh |
52 |
||
|
Representative |
Jeff Wardlaw |
8 |
||
|
Representative |
Richard Womack |
18 |
Moving on to bad bill #2:
- HB1628 Will be heard in the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Thursday, February 23, 2017 10:00 a.m., Room 130, Arkansas State Capitol
AN ACT TO CREATE THE HEALTHCARE FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE ACT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Sponsored by Rep. Brandt Smith and Senators Rapert and Senator Collins-Smith (part of the team that is constantly working behind the scenes and carrying legislation that’s written out-of-state)
Secure Arkansas’ comments: This was written out-of-state! It allows a doctor to refuse to treat a patient because the treatment “violates the conscience” of the doctor, and allows a hospital to refuse to treat for the same reason AND allows an insurance company to refuse to pay for health care costs because it “violates their conscience” as if an insurance company had a conscience! Let’s be clear here! Secure Arkansas can see that if a doctor doesn’t want to perform an abortion, we definitely agree. A doctor shouldn’t be made to perform any procedure that he/she doesn’t want to do. But as we continue to read this bill, if they don’t like you because you are the leader of Secure Arkansas (for example) and if you are in a hospital with a condition that is not life threatening, they can refuse to treat you because it “violates the conscience” of the doctor, AND your insurance company can refuse to pay because it “violates their conscience.” Sickening, isn’t it? Now, the insurance company does have certain filings that they must make with the Insurance Commission, but it’s just too insane.
Once again, the devil is in the details.
ACTION REQUIRED: Call and email the representatives on the House Public Health Committee, and tell them to VOTE NO on HB 1628 and that you don’t want any reduction in transparency. You may call the House Session Number at 501-682-6211 and leave a message for the representatives, but it helps to contact them directly at their phone numbers listed below.
deborah.ferguson@
mary.bentley@arkansashouse.org
bruce.coleman@arkansashouse.
robin.lundstrum@arkansashouse.
stephen.magie@arkansashouse.
austin.mccollum@arkansashouse.
aaron.pilkington@
chris.richey@arkansashouse.org
|
Title |
Name |
Phone |
|
District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Representative |
Jeff Wardlaw |
8 |
||
|
Representative |
Deborah Ferguson |
51 |
||
|
Representative |
Mary Bentley |
73 |
||
|
Representative |
Justin Boyd |
77 |
||
|
Representative |
David L. Branscum |
83 |
||
|
Representative |
Bruce Coleman |
81 |
||
|
Representative |
Justin Gonzales |
19 |
||
|
Representative |
Kim Hammer |
28 |
||
|
Representative |
Ken Henderson |
71 |
||
|
Representative |
Jack Ladyman |
59 |
||
|
Representative |
Fredrick J. Love |
29 |
||
|
Representative |
Robin Lundstrum |
87 |
||
|
Representative |
Stephen Magie |
72 |
||
|
Representative |
Austin McCollum |
95 |
||
|
Representative |
David Meeks |
70 |
||
|
Representative |
Josh Miller |
66 |
||
|
Representative |
John Payton |
64 |
||
|
Representative |
Aaron Pilkington |
69 |
||
|
Representative |
Chris Richey |
12 |
||
|
Representative |
Richard Womack |
18 |
And, finally, bad bill #3:
- SB 373 Will be heard in the Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Thursday, February 23, 2017 10:00 a.m., OSC (Old Supreme Court), Arkansas State Capitol
TO EXEMPT ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS AND ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT FROM THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967.
Sponsored by Senator Bart Hester and Rep. Andy Davis
Secure Arkansas’ comments: This bill appears to exempt attorney-client communication and work product severely obstructs transparency in government. There is no reason to change what has been the law for many years. Secure Arkansas tremendously opposes this bill.
Secure Arkansas also asked Arkansas Attorney Joey McCutchen for a quote about SB 373, and he said:
“This is a bad bill for transparency. When government monies are being used to pay attorneys, the public is entitled to know what transpires whether the attorney is me or anybody else.”
He also says this “…to cover with the veil of secrecy the common routine of business, is an abomination in the eyes of every intelligent man, and every friend to this country.”
ACTION REQUIRED: Contact the members of this Senate Committee and tell them to VOTE NO on SB 373 because it severely obstructs transparency in government!
EddieJoe.Williams@senate.ar.
gary.stubblefield@senate.ar.
bart.hester@senate.ar.gov
Missy.Irvin@senate.ar.gov
|
Title |
Name |
Phone |
|
District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Senator |
Eddie Joe Williams |
29 |
||
|
Senator |
Gary Stubblefield |
6 |
||
|
Senator |
Trent Garner |
27 |
||
|
Senator |
Bart Hester |
1 |
||
|
Senator |
Missy Irvin |
18 |
||
|
Senator |
Bryan King |
5 |
||
|
Senator |
Terry Rice |
9 |
||
|
Senator |
David Wallace |
22 |
Stay tuned!
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And remember:
Securing the blessings of liberty,
Secure Arkansas
securetherepublic.com/arkansas
info@securetherepublic.com
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