2 state representatives, House GOP candidate sign Open Government Pledge

State Reps. Sally Kern, R-OKC, and Al McAffrey, D-OKC, have pledged to "support legislation to strengthen the letter and the spirit" of Oklahoma's open government laws if re-elected in November.

Patent attorney Molly McKay, a Republican challenger for House District 78 in Tulsa, also has agreed to FOI Oklahoma’s Open Government Pledge. Her opponent, Democratic incumbent Jeannie McDaniel, signed the pledge when it was introduced for the 2008 elections.

FOI Oklahoma this week asked 127 candidates for legislative and statewide offices to sign the pledge.

Several candidates on the Nov. 2 ballot took the pledge earlier this year. They are the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial nominees, the Democratic contender for state attorney general, Democratic candidate for House District 36, and both candidates for the House District 44 seat.

By signing the pledge, McKay, Kern and McAfrey joined them in promising "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 in spring 2008 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