Some state records not given time in the sun

By DANIEL SHEA
Associated Press Writer

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas agencies are doing a better job than most at making government records available online, but safety reports and consumer information are still lacking, a nationwide survey found.

Arkansas is also without a statewide database that tracks government expenditures — and a bill that could change that has languished in the Legislature this year.

In preparation for Sunshine Week — a national initiative to discuss the importance of freedom of information — a survey was developed to determine how accessible government information is in each state.

Arkansas was ranked 16th, along with Alabama, Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota and Pennsylvania, based on how many of the 20 assessed categories were readily available online. The only state to provide all 20 was Texas.

But Arkansas' ranking was not impressive to Rick Peltz, a professor of First Amendment and freedom of information law with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. One of Peltz's classes took part in the survey by looking for the assigned documents as part of an assignment.

"To be honest, I'm a little surprised that we placed (16th), because in my perception, Arkansas is not doing very well about getting information out online," Peltz said. "What I usually find, is I get contact information on who I need to contact to get that information."

One of the areas emphasized in the study was the creation of a government spending database — with only half of the states providing one online. A bill by Rep. Dan Greenberg, R-Little Rock, to create such a database has generated little interest.

"We're not the most economically developed state," Peltz said. "And that being the case, we don't have the money to invest in electronic infrastructure. ... It's been largely up to local governments to take advantage of the Internet."

Another bill by Greenberg, which would guarantee a public employee's right to make Freedom of Information Act requests, was approved by the House last week. It now goes to the Senate.

"I think we are a conflicted state when it comes to public information," Peltz said. "I don't find a tremendous drive among Arkansans to find out information about their government. With that mentality you don't have incentive for government officials to affirmatively disclose information."

In other areas found to be lacking, several types of safety reports tended to be unavailable online. School inspection and safety records, along with school bus inspections, were not available online. The parent of a school-age child might also want to check on bridges their child's bus might cross, but bridge inspections and safety reports weren't found online, either.

While maintaining that the safety of the structures and vehicles is paramount to providing online updates, it is still part of the state Highway and Transportation Department's job to make the records available, Peltz said.

In addition, consumer complaints and gas-pump overcharge records weren't found online by searchers.

Arkansas' relatively high score doesn't mean the state is a shining example of transparency, Peltz said. Rather, it displays how poor other state's performances are, he said.

The national report was the first comprehensive survey of its kind, developed to promote discussion throughout Sunshine Week, which runs through Saturday.

"While more and more government records are being posted online, some of the most important information is being left off-line," the survey said.

The survey found that the data least likely to be found were death certificates and gas pump overcharge records, while the majority of states readily supplied Department of Transportation projects and statewide school test data.

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On the Net:

www.sunshineweek.org