Arkansas
Hot Springs police handcuff advocate for government transparency, remove her from public venue • Arkansas Advocate
Police officers handcuffed Bentonville attorney Jen Standerfer on Friday and escorted her out of the Hot Springs Convention Center after she collected two signatures for citizen-initiated ballot measures, she said.
Standerfer is a founding member of the nonpartisan Arkansas Citizens for Transparency (ACT), which received Attorney General Tim Griffin’s approval in January to seek support from registered voters in hopes of putting two government transparency measures on the November ballot.
The incident marks at least the second time in the last month that supporters of potential ballot measures faced police opposition while collecting signatures in a public space ahead of a July 5 deadline.
Publication of abortion amendment canvasser list is intimidation, ballot question committee says
In May, Little Rock police told supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a limited right to abortion that they could be arrested for obstructing traffic. The canvassers told reporters they were not blocking traffic but instead sought the attention of drivers while standing on a public sidewalk.
The Arkansas Bar Association held its annual conference from Wednesday to Friday in Hot Springs. Standerfer said in an interview that she attended the conference as a member of the association and to complete her required continuing education as an attorney. She said brought petitions for both measures in case anyone wanted to sign them.
One proposed measure would alter the state Freedom of Information Act to codify a definition of a “public meeting,” broaden the legal definitions of a “governing body” and “communication” among members of government bodies, create stiffer civil penalties for violating the FOIA and protect citizens’ right to appeal FOIA decisions, among other things.
The other proposed measure would amend the state Constitution to create the right to government transparency, defined as “the government’s obligation to share information with citizens.”
Proposed acts require 72,563 signatures by July 5 in order to appear on the November ballot, while proposed amendments require 90,704 signatures.
Standerfer said Hot Springs police first asked her to stop soliciting signatures Thursday evening when she brought a wagon full of petition documents with a sign on it into the convention center. She complied with the request not to bring the wagon and sign back Friday morning, she said.
The convention center has a policy against solicitation of any kind, said Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, which runs the convention center.
“We have an obligation to the people who rent our space that they can use it without being bothered,” Arrison said.
He added that the content of the petitions had “nothing to do with” the opposition to Standerfer collecting signatures.
Standerfer said she did not ask anyone for signatures or share information about the proposed ballot measures unless someone approached her and asked about them directly.
“It didn’t feel contentious to me. This wasn’t me going up to people and saying ‘Hey, can I talk to you about the FOIA?’” she said. “Literally, it is the most minimally intrusive kind of speech… Anytime someone approaches me about it, I will engage with them.”
After two people signed petitions on Friday, police approached Standerfer and said both the convention center and the bar association did not want her soliciting signatures. Officers threatened her with jail time, handcuffed her and escorted her from the building, but then removed the handcuffs and said she had been trespassing but would not be charged or sent to jail, she said.
Arrison said he was not present Friday and did not see Standerfer collect signatures or interact with police, but “she must have done something that made them think she was soliciting signatures again.”
The Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission owns the convention center and is responsible for spending the city’s 3% tax on prepared food and lodging to promote the city. The commission authorized nearly $4.5 million in capital improvements for the center last year, according to the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record.
Standerfer said she was not trespassing at the convention center, contrary to what police told her, because it was paid for with taxpayer dollars.
Transparency advocates hear public input on proposal to enshrine FOIA in Arkansas Constitution
She also said it was unusual for the Arkansas Bar Association to take issue with her being willing to collect signatures because its conferences consistently have a “political undertone.” Attorneys frequently run for office, and Standerfer herself once ran as a Democrat for a seat in the state House of Representatives.
“I have never been at a bar meeting where you did not have a candidate wearing a sticker, or hand you a sticker, hand you a palm card or ask you for support in an election,” she said.
She added that the Bar Association told her it took no position on the government transparency ballot measures, but the Hot Springs police told her the organization wanted her to leave because she was collecting signatures.
“I would hope that government bodies that serve the people would do the people the service of telling them, ‘Hey, we’ve got a policy against that,’ before calling the police and having them removed from the building,” Standerfer said. “It’s sad to me that we’ve lost this sense of community… because people are so incensed by the idea of politics.”
The Arkansas Bar Association and the Hot Springs Police Department did not return requests for comment as of Friday evening.
The Advocate has sent FOIA records requests to the police department, asking for Standerfer’s arrest report, if there is one, and the body camera footage from the officers that escorted her from the convention center.
Arkansas
Purdue football adds another linebacker from Arkansas
Purdue football coach Barry Odom makes first public appearance
Purdue football coach Barry Odom addresses questions from media in first public appearance in West Lafayette
WEST LAFAYETTE − Purdue football continues to stockpile Arkansas linebackers.
After snagging Razorback Alex Sanford out of the transfer portal, the Boilermakers picked up a commitment from Carson Dean.
Dean was a redshirt freshman for Arkansas this season and played in two games.
Dean, from Frisco, Texas, was a three star prospect by 247Sports out of Hebron High who had 17 offers, including Purdue.
In high school, Dean was an all-district outside linebacker after compiling 85 tackles, including 21 for loss as a senior in 2022.
At the time of his commitment, Barry Odom was Arkansas’ defensive coordinator and Mike Scherer, recently hired as Purdue’s defensive coordinator, was the Arkansas linebackers coach.
Scherer recruited Dean to Arkansas.
Odom’s staff, in need of linebackers after Kydran Jenkins graduated and Yanni Karlaftis transferred to Northwestern.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
Arkansas
Purdue lands pledge from Arkansas LB transfer Alex Sanford
Purdue is starting to pick up steam on the transfer portal market as former Arkansas linebacker Alex Sanford announced his commitment to the Boilermakers following an official visit to West Lafayette this weekend.
Sanford becomes Purdue’s second transfer portal pickup of the cycle and second from Arkansas, following quarterback Malachi Singleton, who announced his commitment to the Boilermakers earlier this week.
The redshirt freshman linebacker had committed to Arkansas to play for Barry Odom and Mike Scherer when the two were coaching in Fayetteville. Two years later he now follows the Boilermakers’ new head coach and defensive coordinator to West Lafayette at a position of need.
Purdue had a thin linebacker corps this season, which saw Kydran Jenkins and Yanni Karlaftis depart this off-season. Sanford now joins Hudson Miller, Winston Berglund and Owen Davis as players with experience at the linebacker position for the Boilermakers heading into 2025.
Sanford has had a minimal role on defense during his career, playing just nine snaps, but he has carved out a consistent role on special teams. Sanford had the third most special teams snaps of any Razorback in 2024, and 328 across his two seasons, serving on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return and punt coverage units, holding a 65.2 Pro Football Focus grade in that regard.
Sanford will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Boilermakers.
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