Ark. papers honor legislator who sponsored law requiring
governing bodies to record their meetings, keep recordings
Ark. papers honor legislator who sponsored law requiring
governing bodies to record their meetings, keep recordings
Arkansas Rep. Vivian Flowers
The Arkansas Press Association is giving its Freedom of
Information Award to the legislator who sponsored a law requiring
governing bodies to make audio recordings of all their meetings and
keep them for a year. The legislation "is one of few substantive
improvements" to the state open-records law in an era when
"legislators most often have tried to claw back transparency
provisions in the bill, APA
reports.
"Flowers filed the bill . . . after a constituent raised
concerns to her about inaccuracies in the meeting minutes of one
local governmental entity," APA reports, noting that minutes "may
describe in a few words what government leaders took two hours to
debate, not to mention that sometimes important comments get cut
from minutes entirely, Flowers said."
Flowers introduced the measure during the final days of the 2019
session, but it got 18 co-sponsors, including “both arch
conservatives and arch liberals,” Flowers noted. She said the
bill would be of particular help to journalists who are unable to
attend meetings.
Arkansas Rep. Vivian Flowers
The Arkansas Press Association is giving its Freedom of
Information Award to the legislator who sponsored a law requiring
governing bodies to make audio recordings of all their meetings and
keep them for a year. The legislation "is one of few substantive
improvements" to the state open-records law in an era when
"legislators most often have tried to claw back transparency
provisions in the bill, APA
reports.
"Flowers filed the bill . . . after a constituent raised
concerns to her about inaccuracies in the meeting minutes of one
local governmental entity," APA reports, noting that minutes "may
describe in a few words what government leaders took two hours to
debate, not to mention that sometimes important comments get cut
from minutes entirely, Flowers said."
Flowers introduced the measure during the final days of the 2019
session, but it got 18 co-sponsors, including “both arch
conservatives and arch liberals,” Flowers noted. She said the
bill would be of particular help to journalists who are unable to
attend meetings.