2 state senators, state representative pledge to support open government legislation

State Sens. Roger Ballenger of Okmulgee and Andrew Rice of Oklahoma City this week pledged to "support legislation to strengthen the letter and the spirit" of Oklahoma's open government laws if re-elected in November.

The two Democrats are the first incumbents in the Senate to sign the Open Government Pledge since FOI Oklahoma began distributing it prior to the 2008 elections.

State Rep. David Dank, R-Oklahoma City, also became the first House incumbent to sign the pledge for a second time, having done so in 2008.

In signing the pledge, Dank, Ballenger and Rice promised "to 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."

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