After the Legislature wrapped a special session, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law her restricting her travel and security records.
Gov. Sanders Travel and Security Records
In a report by POLITICO, The Travel and Security Records of Arkansan Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was sealed after she signed a law on Thursday to restrict release after the Legislature concluded a special session marked by the fight of the state Freedom of Information Act.
The law takes effect immediately which gives the state a right to keep information private such as flying with the State Police Jet and how much it costs which concerns the security provided by the GOP governor and other constitutional authorities. One of the issue of Sander is the proposed modifications of the 1967 statute defending the public’s access to government records. That is why she pushed not to release her Travel and Security Records.
Sanders pushed to seize her Travel and Security records for the protection of her family after citing threats she faced when she took her office and going back to her time as White House press secretary during the time of former President Donald Trump.
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Travel and Security Records of Sander
Sanders and the Republicans in the legislature are the ones who pushed the advocate for broader exemptions to open-records law however, they stopped because of the growing criticism that they need to reduce political openness
After the proposal was whittled down to the security provisions, some of the opponents of the earlier intended broader exclusions for other state agencies supported it. However, it is still criticized for keeping the public in the dark about how tax monies are being used.
In another report published by AP News, Democratic Rep. Andrews Collins said that protecting her Family by restricting her travel and security records is a good reason but it should be done as narrowly as possible.
Sanders sought the security exemptions as the State Police was sued by an attorney and blogger who accused the agency of illegally withholding records about the governor’s travel and security. But Matthew Campbell, who runs the Blue Hog Report website, asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit after Campbell said he tested positive for COVID-19 and would be unable to attend a hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday. Campbell posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he may refile the suit.
The law requires the state to file a quarterly report regarding the monthly cost of the protection of Travel and Security records of the governor by category. The law was also retroactive to June 1, 2022, when the provision State Police said that the needed preparation was made for the next governor after the party primaries that year.
According to the supporters of the bill, the governor’s higher profile raised the security that she will be facing with her family.
A backlash against the more expansive exclusions that were initially requested came from media organizations, activists for open government, and some conservatives who claimed that they would seriously weaken the state’s open records legislation.
David Couch an attorney who spearheaded successful ballot initiatives on marijuana as medical use said that he’s looking for a possibility to preserve the state law about open records in the constitution.
