Bill to shield Arkansas officials’ security records moves forward

Arkansas lawmakers’ third attempt this week to alter the state’s Freedom of Information Act advanced in both the House and Senate on Wednesday. House Bill 1012 and Senate Bill 10 would exempt from FOIA all records and communications concerning the planning or provision of security services to the governor and other state elected officials. The House bill passed…

ByMHO Newsroom StaffSeptember 14, 20230Comments

Government News

Arkansas FOIA Task Force unanimously rejects Sanders’ FOIA changes

The Arkansas Freedom of Information Task Force voted unanimously Monday to reject Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ attempted "reforms" of the state’s sunshine laws. The task force, which was created by Act 932 of the Arkansas General Assembly in 2017, was formed to advise lawmakers on proposals that would affect the state's Freedom of Information…

ByChris FultonSeptember 12, 20230Comments

Feature Government News

Sanders calls for special session over FOIA reforms, Flippo to sponsor

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has called for a special session with the State legislature that may take the sunshine out of Arkansas’s sunshine law. During a 10 a.m. press conference in Little Rock, Sanders stated changes to the state's FOIA law were needed to protect her family and bring the state in line with…

ByChris FultonSeptember 8, 20230Comments

Column Government News

A rare FOIA victory in Arkansas, thanks to the determination of the Times-Herald

Last month, the Times-Herald newspaper in Forrest City won a criminal case against the Palestine-Wheatley School Board brought against its members for meeting in secret to interview a candidate for interim school superintendent. That’s some rare good news for enforcing Arkansas’ Freedom of Information Act, which protects the public’s right to observe public officials in…

ByMHO Newsroom StaffAugust 29, 20230Comments

Education Elections Feature Government News

Chester claims school board did not illegally discuss business in video, later retracts

Mountain Home Public School Board Member Bob Chester has become the first school board member to release a public statement following the exposure of the school board’s secret group chat and FOIA violation. In a roughly 30 minute long video posted to YouTube Wednesday night, Chester denied that the school board had discussed policy in…

ByChris FultonApril 28, 20230Comments

Education Elections Feature Government News

Superintendent Long admits to secret school board chat group, texts regularly deleted

Mountain Home School District Superintendent Jake Long has confessed to operating a secret group chat between himself and members of the Mountain Home School Board following the Observer’s discovery of the group chat during an investigation into text message communications uncovered by a local resident's watch dog group. The group chat, which was created by…

ByChris FultonApril 26, 20230Comments

Column Feature Government News

Editorial: Trust in Mountain Home School Board starts with transparency

With the Arkansas FOIA violation by the Mountain Home Public School’s Board of Education now in the light, I thought it prudent to address the gravity of the situation. When a governing body conducts meetings out of the view of the public, or in secret, it’s bad business for all. Tell someone to define a…

ByAlison FultonApril 26, 20230Comments