February 14, 1967

The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was signed into law by Governor Winthrop Rockefeller. The Arkansas FOIA is generally considered one of the strongest and best models for open government by investigative reporters and others who research public records for various purposes. The intent of the FOIA is to keep government business and government records open and accessible to the people of Arkansas. The Arkansas FOIA has been called “the people’s law” in that it provides the citizens of Arkansas open access to the conduct of the public’s business at every level of government, as well as ready access to public records on file with a host of custodians for records in county courthouses, city halls, public schools, and other public facilities across the state.