Arkansas Press Association reports Freedom of Information Act petition efforts fall short [Video]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The Arkansas Press Association and representatives of the Freedom of Information Act ballot questioning committee announced on Friday the efforts to get a proposed amendment on the November ballot have fallen short.

The APA said in a release the necessary number of counties where signatures were received reached 50, however, the total number of signatures needed was not reached.

APA Executive Director Ashley Kemp Wimberley said the organization decided not to submit the signatures to save the Secretary of State’s office unnecessary work.

If the efforts had been successful, this act would have created a constitutional right to government transparency defined as “the government’s obligation to share information with citizens or to deliver information to citizens” and requires voter approval for laws concerning government transparency.

Organizers behind Arkansas abortion amendment submit petition signatures

The initiative was sparked after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders changed the state constitution after a blogger filed FOIAs and found she paid more than $19,000 for a lectern…