LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Republicans in the Legislature on Tuesday backed off a widespread plan to restrict the public’s access to records about Sanders’ administration, but they said they will still seek limits on what can be released about the GOP governor’s travel and security.
Republican lawmakers filed legislation exempting release of the travel and security records after an outcry over a proposal to significantly scale back the state’s Freedom of Information Act. A wide range of critics that included media groups, transparency advocates and some conservatives had complained the initial legislation would erode the 1967 law protecting the public’s access to government records and meetings.
“The security of our governor and her family should be the top priority for us,” Senate President Bart Hester said at a news conference at the state Capitol with Senate Republicans.
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 is seeking the limits as State Police is being sued by an attorney and blogger who has accused the agency of illegally withholding records about the governor’s travel and security.
In calling for the restrictions, Sanders has cited death threats she has faced over the years, going back to her time as former President Donald Trump’s press secretary. Sanders said Tuesday she had asked the House and Senate to file legislation limited to her security, calling it “the most critical and important element of FOIA reform.”
“Nobody said changing the status quo would be easy but this is a great starting place for making our government safer and more effective,” she said in a statement.
The latest legislation removes other provisions that critics said would have shielded a host of records about state government agencies, including a measure…
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