Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, of Arkansas, is pushing to restrict the public's access to records over her administration in a move that has received growing criticism.
who said it undermines the state’s 1967 law that protects the public’s access to government records. Opponents have also questioned the need for quickly pushing for the legislation in a special session.
"To try to railroad this thing through in one or two or three days is not right and it's not fair, particularly with the breadth of this legislation," said Joey McCutchen, a Fort Smith attorney who has specialized in FOI lawsuits. The legislation would allow the state to wall off details about the security provided Sanders and other constitutional officers, including who travels on the State Police airplane and the cost of individual trips. Sanders has said the changes are needed to protect her and her family. Sanders has cited death threats she's faced over the years, going back to her time as former President Donald Trump's press secretary. More broadly, the bill also would block release of state agencies’"deliberative process" records such as memos and advisory opinions — an exemption that Sanders has said is modeled after one in federal law. Under new legislation filed late Monday night, that exemption was replaced with a new one blocking the release of records"reflecting communications" between the governor's office and Cabinet secretaries. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, governor of Arkansas, speaks at the Arkansas State Capitol on Feb. 8, 2023. Sanders is pushing to restrict the public's access to records over her administration. However, the legislation has not made any progress yet.for about a half hour behind closed doors Monday morning, didn't say whether she was looking at changes to the bill. "We’re going to continue working with our partners in the Legislature," she told reporters after the meeting. FOI experts have also criticized the measure for adding an attorney-client privilege and for changing how attorney's fees are awarded to plaintiffs who prevail in FOI lawsuits. The bill would close off access to records that are at the center of a lawsuit an attorney and blogger has filed against the Arkansas State Police. Matt Campbell, who runs the Blue Hog Report site, has accused the agency of illegally withholding the governor’s travel and security records.
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