A bill that would have limited uses of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) failed to pass in the House State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday (March 29).
Rep. David Ray, R-Maumelle, sponsor of HB1726, explained to committee members the exemptions the bill adds to FOIA laws are needed because current laws are burdensome on state agencies, have been abused, and don’t allow for enough time for agencies to comply with records requests.
“The debate is framed as a binary choice with the government on one side and citizens on the other. You have to pick a side,” Ray said. “It is possible to have both a transparent government and one that isn’t paralyzed by crippling inefficiencies.”
Ray said the volume of FOIA requests can make the job of government more difficult. He added that when the FOIA law was originally passed in 1967 this problem was difficult to foresee.
“It [voluminous FOIA requests] deprives citizens of a government that is providing basic services like public safety and fire protection,” Ray said. “Blowing millions of dollars of taxpayer money on an army of FOIA compliance officers that’ll have to be paid between $60,000 to $100,000 isn’t fiscally conservative.”
Ray said police departments are one of the parts of government that are facing challenges with FOIA requests. His bill would add exemptions for ongoing investigations and police videos involved in investigations. He explained this can lead to unfair trials and innocent...
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