Ballot Initiatives Meeting re FOIA & Govt Transparency on Thurs. Feb. 22, 2024 in Harrison!
Public meeting to discuss the Arkansas FOIA Ballot Initiatives regarding Transparency in Government
Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Place: Signature Bank Bldg. – 303 N. Main St. in Harrison, Arkansas
Please, all surrounding counties, try to drive into Harrison and attend this informative forum that’s especially for the public!
We are looking at two desperately needed ballot initiatives which are aimed at government transparency:
- the Arkansas Government Disclosure Amendment of 2024 and
- the Arkansas Government Disclosure Act of 2024
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Petitions for these two ballot measures are being circulated now throughout the state! It’s vital that we work to get these initiatives onto the November 2024 ballot!
Excerpts from the Harrison Daily Times from Feb. 17, 2024:
The purpose of the forum will be to allow a trio of experts to fully discuss the proposed citizen sponsored Constitutional Amendment and Initiated Act concerning the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Those attending the free public forum will also have opportunities to ask questions and make comments concerning the upcoming signature gathering process across the state and to learn how citizens can greatly help to ensure that the proposed FOIA constitutional amendment and initiated act are placed on the ballot for voter approval during the state’s general election on November 5 of this year.
The proposed constitutional amendment will create a public right to governmental openness and transparency, enshrine the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act in the state’s constitution and will make it more difficult for the state legislature to weaken the Act by requiring support from a two-thirds majority in the legislature for changes that would take effect only after approval by a citizen vote via a statewide referendum election. Importantly, the amendment will also take away the state’s sovereign immunity in cases involving governmental openness and transparency.
Along with the proposed constitutional amendment, the initiated act will empower state citizens, foster government openness and transparency and safeguard the public’s right to access and copy public records. Among its key provisions, the proposed initiated act establishes a strong definition of a public meeting which will require members of public bodies to discuss the public’s business in public rather than behind closed doors. The initiated act also gives “teeth” to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act by allowing citizens to recover legal fees if they file lawsuits against governing entities to enforce their respective citizen’s rights. It, too, gives courts the authority to issue civil penalties against governmental bodies that do not comply with valid requests for public records. The proposed imitated act also requires the creation of a State Commission to assist citizens with their respective Arkansas Freedom of Information Act requests.
Secure Arkansas values and constantly uses our state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), as do many other groups, people, and especially the press! Without the ability to have full disclosure, we would NOT know what goes on in our government and their agencies and how to hold them accountable, such as people’s rights to sue the state for violations.
Our FOIA is known as “the public’s law”. We, the People, NEED and REQUIRE transparency in government. Remember, our state government is demanding to operate secretly; therefore, we must not miss this opportunity to make sure we get these on the November 2024 ballot. That means gathering signatures, and lots of them, so let’s get started, dear readers.
The signatures from registered voters are to be submitted to the office of the Arkansas Secretary of State by July 5th, 2024, in order for the proposed constitutional amendment and the proposed initiated act to be placed on the ballot in the next general election.
The constitutional amendment requires us to have 90,704 signatures, AND the initiated act requires 72,563 signatures. Signatures from at least 50 counties are now required.
It will take a state-wide group effort to get this done.
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