The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act Task Force on Monday voted on four proposed tweaks to the public-records law, erring on the side of more disclosure and transparency in each case.
The committee — tasked with making recommendations to the Arkansas General Assembly on amendments to the state Freedom of Information Act — discussed bills that died during last year’s legislation session (House Bills 1225, 1248, 1403 and 1662), but that may be introduced again in 2019.
The task force endorsed, with two dissenters, the proposal in HB1225 that would repeal an exemption for tax records of hotels and restaurants collected for local advertising and promotion commissions.
Task force members unanimously voted against the other three bills that would create new exemptions or extend the amount of time government entities may take before releasing certain records. Read more…