State Rep. Dan Greenberg, R-Little Rock, notes in a blog post that House Speaker Robbie Wills, D-Conway, is claiming an answer he gave to an Arkansas News Bureau reporter in a recent interview was incorrectly paraphrased.

The interview was about Wills’ announcement this week that the House’s information office will transition from a purely informational office into an office that advocates for House members. For the record, here is the way the reporter paraphrased his question and Wills’ answer:

“Asked if the office’s new role as an advocate for the Democrat-controlled House would mean advocating Democratic positions, Wills said the office would advocate the objectives of the House leadership.”

And here is the actual exchange, taken verbatim from a recording of the interview:

Arkansas News Bureau: “Since the House is Democrat-controlled, does that mean it (the communications office) will be advocating a Democratic point of view?”

Wills: “No, not necessarily. It’s going to advocate the objectives of the leadership of the House of Representatives. That’s, I think, consistent with what you’ll find with communications offices all around the country. We have a particular point of view as opposed to the executive and judicial branch, and we feel like our communications office should help us communicate that point of view.”

Arkansas News Bureau: “So if, say, another issue like the tobacco tax came up, this agency would be working to advocate for passage of the cigarette tax?”

Wills: “If it’s a leadership initiative, taken on by the leadership of the House of Representatives, that’s an appropriate function for the communications office.”

Tags: Dan Greenberg, Robbie Wills

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