- Arkansans for Transparency, a group that seeks to establish access to public documents and meetings as a constitutionally protected right, has filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Tim Griffin.
- The group petitioned the state Supreme Court to instruct Griffin to either approve the proposed ballot language or suggest better language.
- The group needs Griffin's approval to collect the required 90,704 signatures from registered voters by the July 5 deadline.
An Arkansas group seeking to make access to public records and public meetings a constitutionally protected right sued the state's attorney general Tuesday for rejecting language in a proposed ballot measure.
In a 14-page filing, Arkansas Citizens for Transparency asked the state Supreme Court to order Attorney General Tim Griffin to approve the proposed language or replace it with more appropriate language. .
The group needs Griffin's approval to begin collecting the 90,704 signatures from registered voters needed to qualify. The group has a July 5 deadline to submit signatures to put the proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot.
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The group said Mr. Griffin was required by law to approve or replace the text in the bill, and argued that his veto of the bill exceeded his authority.
An Arkansas group seeking to make access to public records and public meetings a constitutionally protected right sued Attorney General Tim Griffin on Tuesday for rejecting language in a proposed ballot measure. (Douglas Graham/Roll Call/Getty Images)
“The Attorney General’s rejection of the title and common name for the ballot suggests that he either does not fully understand his role in the initiative process or that the petitioner seeking to get this amendment on the ballot “It shows that the state's voters are intentionally sabotaging their efforts. State voters can decide their merits,” the group said in its filing.
In December, Griffin rejected the language of the proposed ballot measure, saying key language in the bill was “not clear.” In January, Mr. Griffin rejected four revised versions of the measure submitted by the group, saying they did not address the problems he cited earlier.
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“We have confidence in the review and analysis of the submitted ballots and look forward to the Arkansas Supreme Court's review of this matter,” the Republican attorney general said in a statement released by his office. Stated.
The ballot measure campaign was formed after Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed legislation restricting the release of travel and safety records. Sanders initially proposed broad exemptions that would limit public access to records related to his own administration, but the proposal faced pushback, including from media groups and some conservatives.
