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Witnesses, advocates warn proposed audiovisual FOIA fees could bar low‑income Arkansans and create operational burdens
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee concurred with a House amendment setting a $20 hourly cap for audiovisual FOIA charges after three hours, but public testimony raised concerns that the fee and a 30‑day retention window could deny low‑income and incarcerated people access to critical evidence and overwhelm county offices.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday concurred with a House amendment that narrows how counties may charge for audiovisual public‑records requests, but public testimony warned the change could have unintended consequences for everyday Arkansans.
Mark Whitmore, who identified himself as representing the Association of Arkansas Counties, and the amendment’s sponsor described the change as consumer‑protective: for requests requiring more than three hours of personnel time, counties would charge $20 per hour for the recorded time rather than pursuing higher labor‑based charges. "If their request is over 3 hours ... they simply state they'll charge $20 per…
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