Arkansas
Arkansas transparency group will collect signatures for proposed amendment OK'd by AG – Arkansas Advocate
Arkansas government transparency advocates will begin collecting signatures for a November ballot measure to enshrine government openness in the state Constitution.
Attorney General Tim Griffin certified language for four potential popular names and ballot titles, including “The Arkansas Government Disclosure Amendment of 2024,” a title he substituted for the submission of “The Arkansas Government Transparency Amendment.”
Griffin’s opinions issued Wednesday approved Arkansas Citizens for Transparency’s third attempt to advance the proposed amendment after he rejected previous attempts in December and earlier this month.
In addition to seeking the required 90,704 signatures from registered voters by July 5, the nonpartisan ACT will continue with the lawsuit it filed against Griffin at the Arkansas Supreme Court on Tuesday, said David Couch, the lead attorney in the lawsuit and a member of ACT’s drafting committee.
The legal complaint alleges that Griffin’s past refusals to certify the proposed amendment were to prevent the group from having enough time to gather signatures in support of the measures, and it asks the court to “compel the Attorney General to approve or rewrite the popular name and ballot title for each measure.”
Griffin wrote in his rejection of the first draft that the petitioners needed to define “government transparency,” which he claimed had “partisan coloring.” Subsequent versions of the ballot language define the term as “the government’s obligation to share information with citizens.”
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Couch said the second iteration of the ballot language, rejected Jan. 8, was ACT’s preferred version. The first two amendment proposals said the state Legislature “shall not make a law that diminishes public access to government” without the approval of the people of Arkansas.
The third proposal did not include this clause or a definition of the phrase “diminishes public access to government.” Instead it said the Legislature “shall not make a law concerning government transparency” without the people’s approval.
Couch said the change was necessary to receive Griffin’s approval but was not satisfactory in ACT’s view.
“Why should the people have to vote on something that benefits them if the General Assembly has passed it?” he said.
The proposed amendment would require two-thirds of both the House and Senate to approve a government transparency law, which would then be sent to the voters. In emergency situations, a law would go into effect with 90% approval from both chambers but still be subject to a statewide vote later.
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Next steps
ACT will start collecting signatures for a version of the amendment certified Wednesday in hopes of meeting the July 5 deadline, Couch said, but the legal challenge of Griffin’s use of his powers regarding ballot titles will continue.
“It’s such an important principle, not only for us but for people who intend to collect signatures in the future,” Couch said. “The attorney general’s role in the process needs to be clarified by the Supreme Court.”
The Arkansas AG’s office had long reviewed ballot titles and popular names until the General Assembly, with support of then-Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, shifted ballot title certification responsibility to the State Board of Election Commissioners in 2019.
Early last year, Act 194 of 2023 shifted this power back to the attorney general’s office.
ACT is not the only group to have recently taken legal action to get language certified for proposed constitutional amendments with the goal of putting them on the November ballot.
Group submits third proposed Arkansas FOIA change to attorney general after second rejection
Earlier this month, the nonprofit Arkansas Voter Integrity Initiative asked the Supreme Court to certify two measures aimed at trading voting machines for hand-marked paper ballots and limiting absentee voting. Griffin rejected one measure and certified a substitute proposal for the other. The Supreme Court granted a motion last week for an expedited hearing in the case.
Couch filed a motion asking the high court for an expedited hearing in ACT’s case on Wednesday.
ACT has also submitted a third version of ballot language for an initiated act, which would alter the state Freedom of Information Act. Griffin will issue an opinion Thursday on the proposal.
A primary goal of the proposed act, the drafters have said, is to codify a definition of a “public meeting” and broaden the legal definitions of a “governing body” and “communication” among members.
The statutory changes would also:
- Protect citizens’ right to appeal FOIA decisions and collect any resulting attorneys’ fees.
- Create the Arkansas Government Transparency Commission, with its members appointed by state elected officials, to help citizens enforce their rights to obtain public records and observe public meetings.
- Create stiffer civil penalties for violating the FOIA.
- Repeal Act 883 of 2023, which gave Arkansas school boards more reasons to go into executive session and allow more people to have closed-door meetings with school board members.
- Mandate that records concerning the planning or provision of security services to the governor and other state elected officials be considered public and accessible under the FOIA after three months.
ACT formed in response to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ signing of a law enacted during a special legislative session in September that shields certain state officials’ security records from public access. Sanders advocated for several more exemptions to the FOIA that met bipartisan pushback and did not advance in the Legislature.
Arkansas
What channel is Arkansas basketball vs Arizona on today? March Madness game time, TV, streaming
Ian Eagle recalls wildest memories from past NCAA Men’s Tournaments
Announcer Ian Eagle has been providing analysis for March Madness for decades. He joins us to talk about his partnership with Great Clips.
Darius Acuff Jr. and the fourth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks will face Brayden Burries and the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats as the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament continues with the Sweet 16 Thursday in San Jose, California.
The Razorbacks (28-8) reached the West Region semifinals by beating Hawaii and High Point. Meanwhile, the Wildcats (34-2) beat Long Island and Utah State.
Here’s how to watch the Razorbacks-Wildcats game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:
Watch March Madness live with Sling TV
What time is Arkansas vs Arizona today? When is NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game today?
- Date: Thursday, March 26
- Start time: 8:45 p.m. CT
- Where: SAP Center in San Jose, California
What channel is Arkansas vs Arizona on today? How to watch, stream NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
- TV: TBS/truTV
- How to watch online: Sling (free trial)
Arkansas vs Arizona betting odds for March Madness Sweet 16 game
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, March 26:
- Moneyline: ARI -375 | ARK +290
- Spread: Arizona (-8.5)
- Over/under: 165.5
All times CT
All times CT
Print your own March Madness bracket for 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament
The Arkansas Razorbacks parlayed an SEC Tournament Championship into two straight wins to start their NCAA Tournament run, getting past Hawaii and High Point in impressive fashion. Now, they’ll face their toughest challenge yet, a Sweet 16 showdown with the 1-seed Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona cruised past both Long Island University and Utah State in the first two rounds, and still has just two losses on its record all season. As you’d expect, they’re favored in this SEC vs. Big 12 showdown. Let’s take a look.
Arkansas vs. Arizona Odds, Spread, and Total
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
Spread
- Arkansas +7.5 (-110)
- Arizona -7.5 (-110)
Moneyline
- Arkansas +278
- Arizona -355
Total
- OVER 166.5 (-110)
- UNDER 166.5 (-110)
Arkansas vs. Arizona How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, March 6
- Game Time: 9:45 pm ET
- Venue: SAP Center at San Jose
- How to Watch (TV): CBS
- Arkansas Record: 28-8
- Arizona Record: 34-2
Arkansas vs. Arizona Betting Trends
- The OVER is 9-2 in Arkansas’ last 11 games
- The OVER is 5-1 in Arkansas’ last six games vs. Big 12 opponents
- Arkansas is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games as an underdog
- Arizona is 4-1 ATS in its last five games
- The OVER is 4-2 in Arizona’s last six games
- Arizona is 5-1 ATS in its last six games vs. SEC opponents
Arkansas vs. Arizona Best Prop Bet
- Brayden Burries OVER 17.5 Points (-106) via FanDuel
Brayden Burries has a chance to have a phenomenal performance on Thursday night. Arkansas may be a strong offensive team, but its defense leaves a lot to be desired. They rank 200th in the country in defensive efficiency and are allowing 80.3 points per game this season, which ranks 325th. If Burries brings his best stuff, the Razorbacks are going to be in trouble.
Arkansas vs. Arizona Prediction and Pick
Let’s try our best not to overreact to Arkansas being in the Sweet 16. They had a relatively easy path to win the SEC Championship, squeaking by both Oklahoma and Ole Miss by just three points before beating Vanderbilt in the final, completely avoiding the Florida Gators. Then, in the NCAA Tournament, they had the easiest path to the Sweet 16, getting to face a 13-seed and a 12-seed in the first two rounds.
The Arizona Wildcats are no joke and will be by far the Razorbacks’ biggest challenge. There’s a case to be made that Arizona is the best team in the country, and they have the interior defense to completely shut down the Arkansas offense. The Razorbacks rank 50th in the country in two-point shot rate. Now, they have to face an Arizona defense that ranks second in the country in opponent two-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 43.7% from two-point range.
Arizona also mainly shoots two-point shots, ranking third in two-point shot rate, and now they get to face an Arkansas team that ranks 278th in opponent two-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 54% from two-point range.
This is a nightmare matchup for Arkansas.
Pick: Arizona -7.5 (-110)
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LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — An Arkansas mother fighting for her life is now facing her transplant journey with renewed hope after an overwhelming surge of community support.
Just one day after sharing her story, 31-year-old Brittany Slater’s GoFundMe has skyrocketed from $4,300 to over $22,000; more than doubling her original $10,000 goal in less than 24 hours.
Slater, a mother of two, is battling both advanced kidney disease and heart failure.
She has been approved for a rare dual kidney and heart transplant, but needed financial help to cover expenses during a required 12-week recovery period away from home.
Since the story aired Tuesday afternoon, donations have poured in from 249 contributors. Among them, one person gave $2,000, three donated $1,000 each, and several others contributed hundreds more, reflecting what Slater calls an outpouring of love from both her local community and strangers.
“I was actually at the grocery store when it happened,” Slater said. “My mom called and told me to check it, and I just sat in the parking lot for about an hour crying. I was just full of joy. It was wonderful.”
The financial milestone is doing more than easing immediate concerns; it’s shifting Slater’s mindset as she prepares for the fight ahead.
“It’s making me want to push even harder, to keep fighting even harder,” she said. “If you’re going through something like this, don’t give up. Just keep going and have faith.”
The funds will help cover temporary housing near the transplant center, caregiving needs, childcare for her children, and basic living expenses like food and gas during recovery.
While insurance, including Medicare, is expected to cover much of the transplant itself, the additional costs tied to recovery created a significant burden for the family.
Slater’s mother, Carmenlita Bryant, who is also undergoing chemotherapy, started the fundraiser and said the response has brought both relief and reassurance during an already difficult time.
“It brings a lot of relief,” Bryant said. “Just knowing she’ll be away for three months and we have to figure out care for her children, this takes a huge burden off of us.”
Bryant said she never expected the level of support her daughter received, calling the response overwhelming.
“It just showed me that humanity still exists,” she said. “People who don’t even know us read her story and gave. We’re just so grateful.”
For Slater, the support goes beyond financial help; it’s a message she plans to carry with her into surgery and recovery.
“I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart,” she said. “Every donation, every prayer, it all means so much to me and my family.”
If you would like to support Brittany, you can access her GoFundMe here.
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