Group behind public records initiative drops lawsuit against Arkansas attorney general

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The group behind a ballot measure to make government transparency a constitutional right in Arkansas is dropping its lawsuit against the state’s attorney general over his rejection of a version of the proposal.

Arkansas Citizens for Transparency filed a motion Tuesday with the state Supreme Court seeking to end its case against Attorney General Tim Griffin.

Griffin approved a version of the group’s proposed constitutional amendment a day after it filed its lawsuit over his rejection of previous versions. The attorney general’s certification was needed before the group could begin gathering the nearly 91,000 signatures from registered voters needed to qualify for the November ballot.

The group had initially said it would move forward with the lawsuit in case it won the case in time to gather signatures for its preferred version. But the group said in its filing that it voted Tuesday to drop the case.

The proposal would make access to government records and meetings a constitutionally protected right and would make it more difficult for the Legislature to change the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Griffin also approved the wording this week of a companion initiative by the group that would create a state commission to assist the public with open records requests.

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