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Committee approves bill to require counties to post budgets and financial statements online
Summary
A bill sponsored by Rep. Spencer Hawkes to require counties to publish budgets and financial statements online was approved as amended; the Association of Arkansas Counties will have until 2020 to help counties build the online infrastructure, the sponsor said.
Representative Spencer Hawkes presented legislation directing counties to post budgets and financial statements online to improve transparency. Hawkes said the bill preserves existing newspaper-publication requirements and allows flexibility in the mode of online publication to account for communities without internet access.
An amendment adopted in committee gives the Association of Arkansas Counties (AAC) until 2020 to develop infrastructure and assist counties in the transition; Hawkes told members AAC is working with counties on online budgeting tools. The sponsor said the change is intended to enhance transparency without removing existing notice requirements.
No public opposition was recorded in the transcript; the committee voted by voice to pass the bill as amended.
The transcript records adoption of the amendment and a subsequent committee vote to advance the bill; no roll-call tally is recorded in the committee minutes included in the transcript.
