Arkansas Lawmakers Approve Narrower Bill to Shield Some Governor Records

Arkansas lawmakers voted to shield records of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' travel and security details, a scaled back version of a broader proposal that drew criticism.
The approved bill allows the state to withhold details about security for the governor and other officials, including who travels on the state plane.
Critics said the broader proposal would have created massive exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act and prevented scrutiny of taxpayer spending.
Supporters said the narrowed bill focuses on safety for the governor while maintaining public access rights.
Other transparency bills were set aside for further study, while tax cut proposals moved smoothly, overshadowing the records fight.

yahoo.com

Relevant topic timeline:

9/12/2023

Arkansas Gov. Sanders pushes public records overhaul amid lawsuit over travel, draws transparency concerns and DeSantis comparisons.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders faces criticism and a pending lawsuit for proposing changes to the state's public records law, with opponents arguing that the revisions would limit transparency and accountability in the government.

9/14/2023

Arkansas Governor's Attempt to Overhaul Transparency Law Scaled Back After Public Pushback

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders faced resistance and pushback from conservatives and even her own supporters when she tried to restrict public access to government records under the state's Freedom of Information Act.

9/14/2023

Arkansas Governor Signs Law Restricting Release of Travel and Security Records

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law restricting the release of her travel and security records, citing the need to protect her and her family, despite criticism that it reduces government transparency.

9/15/2023

Arkansas Governor Signs Law Shielding Official Travel Details from Public Records

The taxpayer-funded travel of Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is now exempt from public records, raising concerns about government transparency and accountability.

10/2/2023

Whistleblower Accuses Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Unethical Spending, FOIA Violations as Arkansas Governor

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is accused by an anonymous whistleblower's lawyer of altering and withholding public records related to her office's spending, prompting a request for a legislative audit.

10/10/2023

Governor Sanders faces backlash over $19,000 lectern purchase

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing scrutiny and accusations of altering records to cover up the purchase of a $19,000 lectern for her office.

10/10/2023

New records reveal reimbursement note added later to $19K lectern invoice; audit vote expected

New public records raise questions about when Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' office intended to use Republican Party funds to reimburse the state for a $19,000 lectern purchased with a government credit card.

10/12/2023

Sanders Faces Scrutiny Over $19,000 Lectern Purchased by Her Office

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing scrutiny and calls for an audit after her office purchased a $19,000 lectern with a government credit card, prompting accusations of a cover-up and illegal withholding of documents.

Topics

Posted 9/13/2023, 7:39:30 PM

Arkansas Lawmakers Approve Narrower Bill to Shield Some Governor Records

Arkansas lawmakers voted to shield records of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' travel and security details, a scaled back version of a broader proposal that drew criticism.
The approved bill allows the state to withhold details about security for the governor and other officials, including who travels on the state plane.
Critics said the broader proposal would have created massive exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act and prevented scrutiny of taxpayer spending.
Supporters said the narrowed bill focuses on safety for the governor while maintaining public access rights.
Other transparency bills were set aside for further study, while tax cut proposals moved smoothly, overshadowing the records fight.

yahoo.com

Relevant topic timeline:

9/12/2023

Arkansas Gov. Sanders pushes public records overhaul amid lawsuit over travel, draws transparency concerns and DeSantis comparisons.

9/14/2023

Arkansas Governor's Attempt to Overhaul Transparency Law Scaled Back After Public Pushback

9/14/2023

Arkansas Governor Signs Law Restricting Release of Travel and Security Records

9/15/2023

Arkansas Governor Signs Law Shielding Official Travel Details from Public Records

The taxpayer-funded travel of Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is now exempt from public records, raising concerns about government transparency and accountability.

10/2/2023

Whistleblower Accuses Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Unethical Spending, FOIA Violations as Arkansas Governor

10/10/2023

Governor Sanders faces backlash over $19,000 lectern purchase

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing scrutiny and accusations of altering records to cover up the purchase of a $19,000 lectern for her office.

10/10/2023

New records reveal reimbursement note added later to $19K lectern invoice; audit vote expected

10/12/2023

Sanders Faces Scrutiny Over $19,000 Lectern Purchased by Her Office