Former state Assemblyman Bruce Malloch spoke to the Magnolia Rotary Club on May 23 about his political career and the Freedom of Information Act.
Malloch represented Arkansas' 4th District in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011 and Arkansas' 12th District from 2013 to 2021.
“I've had the good fortune to represent parts of this county in the quorum for 10 years, I've had the good fortune to represent most of this county and several other counties, I've had the good fortune to represent the entire county and all or parts of five other counties in the state House of Representatives for six years and in the state Legislature,” Malloch said.
Speaking to the club, he said his local community had a huge impact on him when he lost a limb in a farm accident as a child.
“When I was 10 years old and in that hospital, people I didn't know came to see me and cheer me on, people I didn't know sent me cards and letters of encouragement,” he said.
Malloch said the encouragement he received during his time in the hospital led him to become a leader in the local Future Farmers of America and then into politics.
“In my time in Congress, I've seen the good and the bad. Most of the intentions of the members are good and honorable. There are a few members whose intentions are not so good. There are a few members who I served with who are currently living in government housing and are not being allowed to leave. Everything we do in government is your money, your tax money, so it should have a little bit of daylight. The public has a right to know what's going on,” he said.
Malloch said he tries to support Arkansas Citizens for Transparency and the spirit of transparency in their constitutional amendments and bills.
“Arkansas has been one of the top states for government transparency since the Rockefeller administration. We passed a Freedom of Information Act again in the '60s. It was considered a model for the country. I'm not getting political, but last summer a political blogger started investigating the Freedom of Information Act. They found information about the governor's travel and that in the process, the governor had purchased a podium for $19,000. A special session was then called to restrict the Freedom of Information Act,” he said.
Malloch said he believes that if allowed, the Legislature would ultimately try to further restrict freedom of information, which is why he serves on the Arkansas Citizens for Transparency voting committee.
“It's a two-pronged approach. First, there is a proposed constitutional amendment to guarantee the public a right to government transparency. Also, any bill restricting the Freedom of Information Act will have to be passed by Parliament with a two-thirds majority and then put to a public vote. The bill has details in it. It will amend the existing Freedom of Information Act, returning it to the state it was in before it was restricted by Parliament and limit Parliament's ability to amend it without public involvement,” he said.
Malloch said the bill would also address cybersecurity issues not currently included in the Freedom of Information Act and allow the government to negotiate privately on ransomware issues.
It also addresses the Governor's travel safety initiative by restricting public information about travel for 90 days after a travel event has concluded.
Anyone interested in submitting or signing a petition can find a list of petition hubs at https://arcitizens4transparency.org/petition-hubs/.
