Members of a government transparency group answered questions from a small crowd in Little Rock on Thursday about their effort to bolster the state’s public records and open meetings law that they hope will appear on the 2024 Arkansas ballot.

Last month, Arkansas Citizens for Transparency (ACT) unveiled a proposed constitutional amendment that would enshrine the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act in the state Constitution. ACT members said they will create and make public at least one more draft before submitting it to Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, who must approve the ballot title and popular name.

The proposed amendment would specify government transparency as a constitutional right. It would also require a vote of the people to enact any future changes to restrict government openness — a direct response to September’s special legislative session that proposed several exemptions to the FOIA, one of which became law.

Transparency advocates hear public input on proposal to enshrine FOIA in Arkansas Constitution