Audio of candidates panel at Sunshine Conference available online

Thanks to The Oklahoman, audio of the candidates session at the recent Sunshine Week conference is available online.

Reporter John Estus' recording of the panel discussion is available in two parts at

• http://s3.amazonaws.com/content.newsok.com/audio/conf1.WMA
• http://s3.amazonaws.com/content.newsok.com/audio/conf2.WMA

All six announced gubernatorial candidates and the announced Democratic candidate for attorney general participated in the panel at Oklahoma Sunshine ’10: Privacy, Politicians & the Public’s Need to Know, which was held at The Oklahoman on March 13.

The conference's afternoon session featured a question-and-answer session with the candidates. Each candidate was afforded three minutes to initially state his or her position on open government and any proposals regarding government transparency and the state’s open meeting and records laws.

Questions included whether to veto pending legislation exempting birth dates of public employees from government personnel files and whether the state Legislature should be exempted from the state's Open Records and Open Meeting laws.

Joey Senat, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

OSU School of Journalism

State employees lobby legislators to exempt birth dates; OKC school district releases workers' DOBs

State employees will be at the Capitol on Tuesday lobbying legislators to close off public access to government workers' birth dates and protesting The Oklahoman's attempt to keep the information public, the Oklahoma Public Employees Association said Monday.

"We cannot let The Oklahoman win," OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley told members. "If they do, your birth date will be made public and your safety will be at risk."

On Saturday, OPEA's communications director likewise said public employees would be put at risk if the information is available to the public.

"It’s not just about identity theft," said Mark Beutler. "It’s about protecting our DHS case workers, our corrections officers, the Highway Patrol, employees of the OSBI and the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, and every other state employee. Just because a person chooses to work for the state doesn't mean they must give up their right to safety."

State law, however, already already exempts public employees' Social Security numbers, home addresses and telephone numbers.

Last week, Oklahoma City Public Schools released birth dates for more than 5,000 district employees in response to The Oklahoman's open records request, the newspaper reported

Has the school district put those employees at more risk of having their identities stolen?

No, says Richard J.H. Varn, a data privacy expert and former Iowa legislator who will deliver the keynote at an open government conference in Oklahoma City on Saturday.

"Birth date alone is not going to get you an identity theft,” Varn told The Oklahoman.

Varn also reiterated that public records are not a source of information for identity thieves. Varn is executive director of the Coalition for Sensible Public Records Access and chief information officer for the city of San Antonio.

On Saturday, Varn will explain what sources we should be worried about and which solutions would be more effective than redacting information such as birth dates from public records.

FOI Oklahoma Inc. invites state legislators and OPEA members to attend the conference to hear Varn for themselves and to discuss the issue with him.

Details on the conference are available online: Oklahoma Sunshine ’10: Privacy, Politicians & the Public’s Need to Know


Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Journalism

All 5 gubernatorial candidates to participate in Sunshine Conference

Congresswoman Mary Fallin will join the four other gubernatorial candidates in an open government forum Saturday during the third-annual Sunshine Week conference.

Oklahoma Sunshine ’10: Privacy, Politicians & the Public’s Need to Know will be held at The Oklahoman, 9000 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City.

The conference's afternoon session will feature a question-and-answer session with candidates for governor and attorney general. All the announced candidates were invited to participate.

Fallin will join fellow Republican gubernatorial candidates state Sen. Randy Brogdon and Robert Hubbard, and Democratic candidates Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Attorney General Drew Edmondson.

Jim Priest, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, also will participate.

Each candidate will be afforded three minutes to initially state his or her position on open government and any proposals regarding government transparency and the state’s open meeting and records laws.

The conference's morning sessions will focus on the issue of birth dates, public records and identity theft. Data privacy expert and former Iowa legislator Richard J.H. Varn will explain how improved identity management technology and practices, along with public education on self-protection measures, would be more effective defenses against identity theft than redacting information from public records.

Dallas Morning News attorney Paul C. Watler and computer‐assisted reporting editor Ryan McNeill will explain the newspaper’s lawsuit over government employee birth dates in Texas and the legislative debate in that state over public access to the information.

Mark Thomas of the Oklahoma Press Association will analyze current bills in the Legislature to limit or expand the public’s right to know in Oklahoma.

A luncheon panel will look back at 20 years of FOI Oklahoma Inc. Recipients of FOI Oklahoma's three annual FOI awards also will be announced.

Wednesday is the deadline for early registrations.


Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Journalism

Askins to participate in open government forum at Sunshine Conference

Lt. Gov. Jari Askins will join other gubernatorial candidates in an open government forum during the third-annual Sunshine Week conference.

Oklahoma Sunshine ’10: Privacy, Politicians & the Public’s Need to Know will be held March 13 at The Oklahoman, 9000 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City.

The conference's afternoon session will feature a question-and-answer session with candidates for governor and attorney general. All the announced candidates have been invited to participate.

Askins will join fellow Democratic candidate Attorney General Drew Edmondson and Republican gubernatorial candidates state Sen. Randy Brogdon and Robert Hubbard.

Jim Priest, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, also will participate.

Each candidate will be afforded three minutes to initially state his or her position on open government and any proposals regarding government transparency and the state’s open meeting and records laws.

The conference's morning sessions will focus on the issue of birth dates, public records and identity theft. Data privacy expert and former Iowa legislator Richard J.H. Varn will explain how improved identity management technology and practices, along with public education on self-protection measures, would be more effective defenses against identity theft than redacting information from public records.

Dallas Morning News attorney Paul C. Watler and computer‐assisted reporting editor Ryan McNeill will explain the newspaper’s lawsuit over government employee birth dates in Texas and the legislative debate in that state over public access to the information.

Mark Thomas of the Oklahoma Press Association will analyze current bills in the Legislature to limit or expand the public’s right to know in Oklahoma.

A luncheon panel will look back at 20 years of FOI Oklahoma Inc. Recipients of FOI Oklahoma's three annual FOI awards also will be announced.

March 10 is the deadline for early registrations.


Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Journalism

Senate leader now says he'd vote against birth date bill; Dueling op-ed columns in The Oklahoman debate issue

Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee now says he will vote against a bill exempting public employee birth dates if the legislation returns to the Senate, The Oklahoman reported this morning.

The Oklahoma City Republican had his chance to vote against SB 1753 last week when it passed the Senate by a 44-0 vote with no discussion or debate on the floor. Instead, he voted for it, the newspaper reported.

Coffee told The Oklahoman he did not support the bill approved by the Senate.

"Upon further review, I think I would have changed my vote,” Coffee said.

Would have? Wish he had done it the first time. But better late than never.

Unless the House changes the legislation, it won't be returning to the Senate, reporters Julie Bisbee and Michael McNutt noted.

However, the bill doesn't have a title, which it must have to become law. A title can be added any time in the legislative process, the newspaper pointed out.

So to become law, the bill would be headed back to the Senate.

Before that, the bill must go through a House committee to be heard by the full House. Along the way, we expect the 12 House members who've signed FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge to live up to that promise to support the public's right to know. (See the 2008 and 2009 signers.)

The bill's House author, Rep. Randy Terrill, told the newspaper he wants to work on the wording of the measure to come up with a "clearly defined, reasonable criteria that strikes the balance between the public’s right to know and the individual’s right of privacy.”

The Moore Republican indicated that balance might not be achieved this legislative session.

In the meantime, perhaps legislators will speak to data privacy experts such as Richard J.H. Varn, who will be addressing the March 13 conference on open government issues.

The former Iowa legislator will explain how improved identity management technology and practices, along with public education on self-protection measures, would be more effective defenses against identity theft.

The Oklahoman today published opposing viewpoints on the bill by Mark Thomas of the Oklahoma Press Association and Sterling Zearley of the Oklahoma Public Employees Association. Both deserve a close reading with an open mind.

One point, however, deserves a comment here. Zearley said the public should be entitled to know the birth dates of The Oklahoman's reporters because his subscription helps pay their salaries. Zearley is equating his subscription fee with taxes.

But paying for a subscription to The Oklahoman is a voluntary choice. Paying local and state taxes isn't one.

Birth dates. Identity theft. The public's need to know. This is a complicated issue that requires more than simplistic, bumper sticker solutions. It requires an informed debate.

FOI Oklahoma Inc. hopes to add to that debate at its conference March 13 in Oklahoma City. The deadline for early registration is March 10. If you're interested in this issue, please register and attend.


Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Journalism

Oklahoma Sunshine ’10: Privacy, Politicians & the Public's Need to Know

Kick off Sunshine Week with FOI Oklahoma’s 2010 Sunshine Conference

• Birth dates. Public records. Identity theft. As state legislators consider exempting birth dates of government employees from the Open Records Act, an expert on data privacy will explain what should really worry us and how to better protect ourselves.


• Ask candidates for governor and attorney general where they stand on open government issues. Scheduled to attend: Gubernatorial candidates Randy Brogdon, Drew Edmondson and Robert Hubbard; and Jim Priest, candidate for attorney general.


• Learn from a Capitol-insider about state legislation aimed at the public’s right to know.


• Celebrate 20 years of FOI Oklahoma Inc.


• Recipients of FOI Oklahoma's three annual FOI awards will be announced during the conference luncheon.


• March 13, 2010 (9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.)
• The Oklahoman, 9000 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City
  
  Registration Form


• Early registration must be received by March 10.
  
  
  
  • Non-members: $30
    (Includes lunch & one-year membership in FOI Oklahoma)
  
  
  • College/High School Students: $15
    (Includes lunch & one-year membership in FOI Oklahoma)
  
  
  • FOI Oklahoma Inc. Members: $10
  
  
  • Additional $5 for registrations received after March 10
    
    Make check or money order payable to FOI Oklahoma.
    
    Mail payment to:
    Oklahoma Sunshine '10
    Oklahoma Library Association
    300 Hardy Drive, Edmond, OK 73013
    405–525–5100 • Fax: 405–525–5103
    Kay Boies: kboies@sbcglobal.net
    
    Purchase Orders, and Visa and MasterCard payments can also be accepted. Please contact Kay Boies at the Oklahoma Library Association.

Tulsa World: Why birth dates of government employees are important to the public

A Tulsa World editorial today criticized the state Senate for moving last week to exempt public employee birth dates from the Open Records Act.

Like this blog did Friday, the editorial noted that senators passed the bill with no debate or questions.

The editorial also demonstrated how access to the information can help prevent the wrong people from being identified as criminals. Thirty-three state legislators' names match those of felons listed in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections database.

The editorial also pointed to the newspaper's investigation years ago that found more than 200 school district employees "were arrested and jailed in Tulsa County for various offenses, including felonies. Some of the employees had arrest records prior to their employment and others got into trouble with the law after they were employed."

As a result of the reporting, legislators "tightened up requirements on school districts to check out the public records of their employees."

"The investigation wouldn't have been possible — and the felons would still be in the school house — if birth dates were kept secret," the editorial explained.

"Some people want to keep their secrets secret," the newspaper concluded. "The public should know that the secret to transparent government is a dedication to open records that are accessible and usable."

At the March 13 FOI conference in Oklahoma City, an internationally recognized expert on data privacy will explain why exempting birth dates from public records won't lessen the threat of identity theft.

He also will explain how improved identity management technology and practices, along with public education on self-protection measures, would be more effective defenses.


Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Journalism

State Senate unanimously exempts public employee birth dates with no debate; Privacy expert to speak about issue at Sunshine Week conference

At the urging of the state employees association, the Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would exempt public employees' birth dates from the Open Records Act.

The 44-0 vote came after no debate or questions.

But such an important issue deserves plenty of debate and questions as this legislation goes to the House for consideration.

Prior to the Senate vote, the Oklahoma Public Employees Association encouraged its members to ask their senators to vote for SB 1753. In an e-mail, the OPEA said:

State employees’ duties often bring them in contact with the public in safety, protection of the most vulnerable and regulatory functions. Child welfare workers, corrections and probation officers, or benefit workers can be stalked by criminals or disgruntled members of the public with whom they have come in contact through the performance of their job duties. Employees’ birthdates can also be used by identity thieves to access bank accounts and credit of public workers.

The OPEA touts the Senate vote as one of its "first wins of the legislative session."

“In this day of identity theft and fraud, we need to make sure these private records are kept confidential," said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley. "We now look forward to working with the House of Representatives to secure passage of this very important piece of legislation.”

But an internationally recognized expert on data privacy disagrees with Zearley.

Richard J. H. Varn says identity theft is a real problem but public records aren't the source of that problem. Exempting the information, however, does create a privacy problem.

When public identifiers are not made public, it is nearly impossible to distinguish one person from another. It leads to more false positives and false negatives, Varn told the National Freedom of Information Coalition conference this past summer.

For example, when The Oklahoman compared January’s state payroll data to the state sex offender registry, the newspaper found 778 state employees who share first and last names with registered sex offenders.

"Without dates of birth, which are included in the sex offender registry, it is impossible to determine whether these workers may be sex offenders," the newspaper noted.

State law already exempts public employees' Social Security numbers, home addresses and telephone numbers. SB 1753 would make it virtually impossible to determine if those employees have committed crimes, evaded paying taxes, filed for bankruptcy or made political contributions.

Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee told The Oklahoman he has some reservation about the bill even though he voted for it.

"Further discussion is necessary before a bill like that would become law,” the Oklahoma City Republican said.

That discussion should include experts such as Varn who can educate legislators on the realities of identity crimes.

As keynote speaker for the March 13 FOI conference in Oklahoma City, the former Iowa legislator will explain how improved identity management technology and practices, along with public education on self-protection measures, would be more effective defenses against identity theft.

Varn is the chief information officer for the city of San Antonio and director of The Coalition for Sensible Public Records Access. He was the first Iowa legislator to install and use a computer in the legislative chambers. He later created and served as director of that state's first Information Technology Department. Varn, who also has a law degree, is an internationally recognized expert and leader in information technology, privacy, identity security, public policy, and digital government.

Just the sort of person our legislators should speak with before turning SB 1753 into law.

For more discussion and information on the bill and related issues:

• How many state employees are sex offenders?, DataWatch blog by Paul Monies of The Oklahoman.
• Senate OKs birthdate-secrecy bill, by Barbara Hoberock of The Tulsa World.
• Oklahoma Senate bill keeps birth dates private for public employees, by Julie Bisbee of The Oklahoman.
  
• State Senate bill would exempt government employees' birth dates from Open Records Act, make identifying public employees virtually impossible, by FOI Oklahoma Blog.
• Understanding the Access Debate, a series of white papers by The Coalition for Sensible Public Records Access.
  

Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Journalism

Democratic candidates for governor, attorney general to participate in Sunshine Conference

Gubernatorial candidate Drew Edmondson and Jim Priest, a candidate for attorney general, will share their views on open government at FOI Oklahoma Inc.'s third annual Sunshine Week conference.

Oklahoma Sunshine ’10: Privacy, Politicians & the Public’s Need to Know will be held March 13 at The Oklahoman, 9000 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City.

The conference's afternoon session will feature a question-and-answer session with candidates for governor and attorney general. All the announced candidates have been invited to participate.

Each candidate will be afforded three minutes to initially state his or her position on open government and any proposals regarding government transparency and the state’s open meeting and records laws.

The latest candidates to accept the invitation are Democrats: Edmondson, the state attorney general, and Priest, an Oklahoma City attorney and lay minister.

Republican gubernatorial candidates Sen. Randy Brogdon and Robert Hubbard also have agreed to participate.

The conference will celebrate FOI Oklahoma Inc.'s 20th anniversary and preview what's ahead for open government in the state.

The morning sessions will focus on the issue of individual privacy versus the public’s need to know. State legislators are considering exempting government employees' dates of birth from the state Open Records Act.

SB 1753, filed by Sen. Debbe Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, comes on the heels of a written opinion by Edmondson that those birth dates are presumed open and may be withheld only if officials can demonstrate on a case-by-case basis that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy that outweighs the public interest. (2009 OK AG 33)

During the conference luncheon, the recipients of FOI Oklahoma's three annual FOI awards will be announced.


Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Journalism

GOP gubernatorial candidates to participate in Sunshine Conference

Republican gubernatorial candidates Sen. Randy Brogdon and Robert Hubbard have agreed to discuss their views on government transparency at FOI Oklahoma Inc.'s third annual Sunshine Week conference.

Oklahoma Sunshine ’10: Privacy, Politicians & the Public’s Need to Know will be held March 13 at The Oklahoman, 9000 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City.

The conference will celebrate FOI Oklahoma Inc.'s 20th anniversary and preview what's ahead for open government in the state.

Experts will discuss the issue of individual privacy versus the public’s need to know. State legislators are considering exempting government employees' dates of birth from the Open Records Act. SB 1753, filed by Sen. Debbe Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, comes on the heels of a state attorney general opinion that those birth dates are presumed open and may be withheld only if officials can demonstrate on a case-by-case basis that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy that outweighs the public interest. (2009 OK AG 33)

The conference's afternoon session will feature a question-and-answer session with candidates for governor and attorney general. All those candidates were invited last Thursday to participate in the session. Each candidate will be afforded three minutes to initially state his or her position on open government and any proposals regarding government transparency and the state’s open meeting and records laws.

Brogdon of Owasso and Hubbard, a Yukon businessman, are the first to accept the invitation.

The recipients of FOI Oklahoma's three annual FOI awards will be announced during the conference luncheon.

Early registration for the conference must be received by March 10.

Non-members: $30 (Includes lunch and one-year membership in FOI Oklahoma Inc.)

College/High School Students: $15 (Includes lunch and one-year membership in FOI Oklahoma Inc.)

FOI Oklahoma Inc. Members: $10

Additional $5 for registrations received after March 10

Make check or money order payable to FOI Oklahoma.

Mail payment to:
Oklahoma Sunshine '10
Oklahoma Library Association
300 Hardy Drive, Edmond, OK 73013
405–525–5100 • Fax: 405–525–5103
kboies@sbcglobal.net

Purchase Orders, and Visa and MasterCard payments can also be accepted.
Please contact the Oklahoma Library Association.

More information will be posted on the FOI Oklahoma Web site in the coming weeks.


Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Journalism