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City attorney's outside counsel warns Jonesboro council of new Arkansas FOIA limits on private member discussions
Summary
Outside counsel Sean Baker told the council that recent changes to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act require governing-body members to make deliberations about agenda items only in noticed public meetings and warned that private texts, emails or other member-to-member communications could invalidate votes or expose members to court challenges.
Sean Baker, a lawyer who has trained municipal clients across Arkansas, told the Jonesboro City Council on Nov. 18 that this year's legislative changes to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act represent a "fundamental change" in how governing bodies may communicate about agenda items. "All of your deliberations and discussions, your views about your opinions on a topic ... are now required to be discussed among you only in a noticed public meeting," Baker said.
Baker warned that private exchanges ' including…
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