2 Independents, 2 Republicans promise to support open government

Four more challengers have pledged to support open government in Oklahoma if elected on Nov. 2.

Signing FOI Oklahoma’s Open Government Pledge are

• Republican John Bennett, who is running for House District 2
  
• Republican Joshua Jantz, who is seeking the Senate District 46 seat
  
• Richard Prawdzienski, an independent running for lieutenant governor
  
• Daniel N. Stankiewicz, an independent candidate for House District 97
  

In signing the pledge, each candidate said he would “support at every opportunity the public policy of the State of Oklahoma that the people are vested with the inherent right to know and be fully informed about their government so that they can efficiently and intelligently exercise their inherent political power."
 
The three legislative candidates also specifically promised to "support legislation to strengthen the letter and the spirit" of Oklahoma's open government laws.
 
FOI Oklahoma began the Open Government Pledge as part of a national effort to spur public commitments to government transparency from candidates for president down to city council contests.
 
Instructions and a list of signers for the 2010 elections can be found on FOI Oklahoma’s website.
 
Founded in 1990, FOI Oklahoma Inc. is a statewide organization actively supporting those organizations and individuals working to open records or provide access to meetings illegally closed. The organization's Board of Directors includes attorneys, educators, elected officials, journalists, librarians and private citizens.
 
Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Media & Strategic Communications