A little bit of unexpected drama emerged at the state Capitol today as the legislature assembled for Gov. Sarah Sanders' quickly assembled special session to cut income taxes and gut the state's transparency law.

And Rep. David Ray (R-Maumelle), the sponsor of the Freedom of Information rollback, said his costs could be modified.

" Conversations are happening," he confirmed as he stood outside the Senate chamber around 1 p.m.

Those discussions are putting a lag on what many expected to be a fast, three-day affair. Unique legislative sessions normally happen fast, with the choose crucial legislation lined up and counted prior to the guv ever issues a call for a session to start.
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But to end Wednesday of this week as prepared needs leaving from standard rules of legal treatment, so normally lawmakers will vote to suspend the rules on the waiting periods generally required in between committee projects, committee conferences and a vote on the complete flooring of the chamber. In the past, they've likewise suspended a guideline that needs the state to make a fiscal effect declaration openly available for a duration prior to lawmakers vote.

When the House of Representatives assembled a few minutes after 11 a.m. on Monday, Rep. DeAnn Vaught's (R-Horatio) movements to suspend those rules elicited a hearty cacophony of nos. Since Democrats are rare on the House flooring, it's clear a few of those nos were coming from Republicans. Soon after the vote, House Speaker Matthew Shepherd (R-El Dorado) called a recess to recalibrate due to the week's calendar getting wiped out prior to they even really started.
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On the other hand, on the other side of the Capitol, Republican management also seemed thrown off guard over how to deal with Senate Bill 7, the guv's proposition to significantly deteriorate the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. The expense would defang the FOIA by keeping journalists and everyday residents from accessing any state company records in which internal deliberations or conversations are still under way, to name a few things.

Senate President Pro Tem Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs) designated the FOIA-gutting bill to the State Agencies committee, however confusion took place about precisely when the committee would satisfy-- often an indication that the votes on a bill may be unpredictable or unstable.

That committee consists of a minimum of one Republican, Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forrest), who opposes the expense, along with two Democrats. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette press reporter Mike Wickline stated quickly afterwards that Hester indicated he might attempt to reroute the bill to another committee:

Sen Hester says a senate committee will hold a public hearing on FOI expense at some yet to be undetermined time and acknowledges it might be another Senate committee besides State Agencies #arpx

—-- Mike Wickline (@MikeWickline) September 11, 2023

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Does Senate Judiciary have the votes? And 2 Democrats on the 8-member committee, Clarke Tucker of Little Rock and Stefanie Flowers of Pine Bluff, would most likely tip the scales to a no.

After the Senate adjourned for the early morning, Sanders consulted with Senate Republicans for about 30 minutes, however it's uncertain what resulted from the meeting, if anything:

After meeting Senate Republicans for about a half hour, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders doesn'' t say whether she'' s taking a look at changes to FOI expense: "" We'' re going to continue dealing with our partners in the Legislature"" #ARleg #ARpx

—-- Andrew DeMillo (@ademillo) September 11, 2023

Could these speed bumps signal wider resistance to a minimum of part of the guv's legislative agenda? It's prematurely to inform, but we'll be enjoying closely throughout the day.