The Arkansas Attorney General is charged by
statute with the responsibility of providing written legal opinions
requested by state officials. This includes constitutional officers,
members of the General Assembly, prosecuting attorneys, heads of
executive departments of the State, and heads of state boards and
commissions. A.C.A. § 25-16-706. The purpose of the Opinions
Department is to assist in fulfilling this statutory duty by preparing
drafts of formal, written opinions. In addition to those mentioned
above, opinions are also issued to county boards of election commissioners
on election law questions. The Opinions Department is also responsible
for approval of interlocal cooperation agreements, approval of
popular names and ballot titles for initiatives and referendums
of statewide impact, and responses to requests for opinions concerning
the application of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA")
pertaining to the release of certain public employment records.
While opinions of the Attorney General do not constitute binding
law or precedent, they do provide a significant source of legal
interpretation, often with respect to questions that have not been
addressed elsewhere.
The Opinions Department is charged with the
responsibility of responding to all the above requests in a timely
and professional manner. Requests pertaining to personnel records
under the FOIA must be answered within three working days, approval
of popular names and ballot titles must be answered within ten
working days, and the Department attempts to answer all other opinion
requests within thirty days of receipt. |
