Time to Start Turning in our FOIA/ Transparency in Govt Petitions!
It’s time to start turning in our FOIA petitions!
The petitions must be turned in this week to the Secretary of State on or before July 5th.
However, readers — we are still gathering last-minute signatures. There are still a few days left to sign and to gather more needed signatures, so please make a concerted effort to sign a petition right away.
Yes, we still need more signatures, and we don’t want to fall short of the required number to place these on the ballot!
Freedom to petition our government must be kept safe!
We need to take action and not leave the power in the hands of politicians.
Here in Arkansas, we, the people, still have the power to initiate constitutional amendments and also state statutes, known as acts.
Since March, we have been working to get signatures on petitions for a Constitutional Amendment and an Initiated Act to be placed on the November 2024 ballot, which — if passed — will protect everyone’s right and freedom to know how their taxpayer dollars are being spent and what is going on in government. These will also hold government officials accountable to us.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is also known as our Sunshine laws.
Sunshine laws are regulations requiring public disclosure of government agency meetings and records. They require specific businesses and government agencies to maintain transparency and disclose their activities to the public.
This is non-partisan, as ALL of us have the right, the responsibility, and the freedom to see and know what is happening in our government.
So, if you agree with the need to be able to protect and strengthen our FOIA, to inquire where your tax dollars are being spent by the government, and to hold government officials accountable using a Freedom of Information Act request, then PLEASE seek someone carrying the petitions or just go into one of the hubs or newspaper offices listed below to sign the petitions.
If you have not yet read the FOIA/ transparency in government petitions, here they are:
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Here is the wording for the Act: AN INITIATED MEASURE AMENDING THE ARKANSAS CODE TO CREATE THE “ARKANSAS GOVERNMENT DISCLOSURE ACT”
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and here is the wording for the Amendment: “THE ARKANSAS GOVERNMENT DISCLOSURE AMENDMENT OF 2024″.
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Check out this previous article for some quick-read bullet points of WHAT the initiated Act and Amendment will actually DO:
Masterson Says, “Get Involved with the FOIA Petitions Today!”
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WHEN, WHERE, & HOW:
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Here is a calendar for June and early July. Be sure to click the link to view the expanded version which shows many places around the state (besides the newspaper office hubs) where you can sign the petitions. Certain farmers markets, festivals, book stores, a rehab center, a pub in Jonesboro, churches… You can simply walk up and sign. There’s even a drive-up in Little Rock on Sunday, June 30th from 9:00am – 5:00pm, where you can literally just DRIVE-UP-and-sign! It’s at 900 S. Rodney Parham Rd, Little Rock, AR 72204 (off exit 6A/ 6B off i-630). Also, see the locations listed below these 3 bullet points for specific places by date and time. We only have a few days left.
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Click here for an interactive map of petition hubs and signing locations.
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Click here to view the a list of the pick-up and drop-off hubs (organized by county) where you can take your signed and notarized FOIA/ transparency petitions. You may also sign the petitions at one of these locations.
Here’s the list of locations around the state where you can sign petitions within the next few days:
Sunday, June 30
— BELLA VISTA Petition signing at the Farmers Market from 8am – 1pm; 1 Mercy Way, Bella Vista, AR 72714
— LITTLE ROCK Drive Up Petition Signing from 9am-5pm; 900 S Rodney Parham Rd, Little Rock, AR 72204 (drive up and sign at Exit 6A/6B off I-630)
— BENTONVILLE Petition signing at Two Friends Bookstore +Cafe from 10am – 7:30 pm; 801 SE 8th St, Bentonville, AR 72712
— MOUNTAIN HOME Petition Signing at the Red, White, and Blue Festival from Noon – 9pm; 1600 S. College St, Mountain Home, AR 72653
— FAYETTEVILLE Petition Signing at Fayetteville Barnes & Noble across from the NWA mall from 1pm – 6pm; Northwest Village Shopping Center, 4144 N College Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72703
— LITTLE ROCK Petition Signing at Dee Brown Library from 1pm – 5pm; Central Arkansas Library System, 6325 Baseline Rd, Little Rock, AR 72209
— LITTLE ROCK Petition Signing at McMath Library from 1pm – 5pm; Central Arkansas Library System, 2100 John Barrow Rd, Little Rock, AR 72204
— HOT SPRINGS Petition signing at Garland County Library Sunday from 1pm – 4pm and also Mon – Thurs 11am – 1pm; 1427 Malvern Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901
— JONESBORO Signing event at Cregeen’s Irish Pub, Sunday from 4pm – 7pm; 201 S. Main St, Jonesboro, AR 72401
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Monday, July 1
— FAYETTEVILLE Petition Signing at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church from 7am – 11am; 224 N East Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701
— SHERWOOD Petition Signing at Access Rehab from 8:40 am – 4pm on Mon & Weds, 212 E Kiehl Ave, Sherwood, AR 72120
— LITTLE ROCK Signing Hub: the Arkansas Press Association from 9am – 4pm, 411 S. Victory St, Little Rock, AR 72201
— FORT SMITH Petition signing at the Fort Smith Public Library (Main Library) on Mon/Tues/Weds 11am – 1pm, 3201 Rogers Ave, Fort Smith, AR 72903
— HOT SPRINGS Petition signing at Garland County Library Mon – Thurs from 11am – 1pm; 1427 Malvern Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901
— JONESBORO Signing at Petco from 4pm – 8pm; 1207 S Caraway Rd, Jonesboro, AR 72401
— JONESBORO Petition Signing at 801 S Gee St, Suite B, Jonesboro, AR 72401 from 4pm-8pm
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Tuesday, July 2
— FAYETTEVILLE Petition Signing at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church from 7am – 11am; 224 N East Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701
— LITTLE ROCK Signing Hub: the Arkansas Press Association from 9am – 4pm, 411 S. Victory St, Little Rock, AR 72201
— BENTONVILLE Petition signing at Two Friends Bookstore +Cafe from 10am – 7:30 pm; 801 SE 8th St, Bentonville, AR 72712
— LITTLE ROCK Petition signing at Paper Hearts Bookstore from 10am – 6pm, 420 E 21st St Unit E, Little Rock, AR 72206
— HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE Signing event at the Unitarian Universalist Village Church from 10am – 1pm, 403 Barcelona Rd, Hot Springs Village, AR 71909
— HOT SPRINGS Petition signing at Garland County Library Mon – Thurs from 11am – 1pm; 1427 Malvern Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901
— FORT SMITH Petition signing at the Fort Smith Public Library (Main Library) on Mon/Tues/Weds 11am – 1pm, 3201 Rogers Ave, Fort Smith, AR 72903
— JONESBORO Petition Signing at 801 S Gee St, Suite B, Jonesboro, AR 72401 from 4pm-8pm
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Weds, July 3
— FAYETTEVILLE Petition Signing at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church from 7am – 11am; 224 N East Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701
— SHERWOOD Petition Signing at Access Rehab from 8:40 am – 4pm, 212 E Kiehl Ave, Sherwood, AR 72120
— LITTLE ROCK Signing Hub: the Arkansas Press Association from 9am – 4pm, 411 S. Victory St, Little Rock, AR 72201
— BENTONVILLE Petition signing at Two Friends Bookstore +Cafe from 10am – 7:30 pm; 801 SE 8th St, Bentonville, AR 72712
— LITTLE ROCK Petition signing at Paper Hearts Bookstore from 10am – 6pm, 420 E 21st St Unit E, Little Rock, AR 72206
— FORT SMITH Petition signing at the Fort Smith Public Library (Main Library) on Mon/Tues/Weds 11am-1pm AND 5pm-7pm (weather permitting), 3201 Rogers Ave, Fort Smith, AR 72903
— HOT SPRINGS Petition signing at Garland County Library Mon – Thurs from 11am – 1pm; 1427 Malvern Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901
— BENTONVILLE petition signing at 306 SW A St, Bentonville, AR 72712 from 11:30am-2pm
— JONESBORO Petition Signing at 801 S Gee St, Suite B, Jonesboro, AR 72401 from 4pm-8pm
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Thurs, July 4 — Independence Day!
— HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE Signing event at the Unitarian Universalist Village Church from 10am – 1pm, 403 Barcelona Rd, Hot Springs Village, AR 71909
— HOT SPRINGS Petition signing at Garland County Library Mon – Thurs from 11am – 1pm; 1427 Malvern Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901
— ROGERS Petition signing at The Sage Elephant from Noon to 4pm; 120 N 13th St, Rogers, AR 72756
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Please participate in this important issue.
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Joey McCutchen, advocate for transparency in government, recently stated,
“This is all or nothing. We are reclaiming our rights. If we win, we’re going to have the strongest FOIA in the country. If we lose in November, we will end up having the weakest FOIA in the country. They will come after FOIA, and it will be weakened and not recognized.”
And please share article this far and wide in Arkansas!
Let the sunshine in!
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