8 pledge signers elected Tuesday

Eight of the 13 municipal candidates who had signed FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge were elected Tuesday.
 
They have promised that they and their city governments "will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws."
 
Four were challengers: three in Norman and one in Stillwater.
 
Three pledge signers were involved in close elections. In Guthrie, Ward 3 incumbent Gaylord Z. Thomas won by nine votes.
 
In Norman, challenger Stephen Tyler Holman was elected over another pledge signer, incumbent Linda Lockett, for the Ward 7 seat by 27 votes.
 
Another pledge signer in Guthrie, Trey Ayers, lost his bid for mayor but remains on the council as the Ward 1 representative.
 
Here is the list of winners by city:

• Guthrie City Council
• • John Wood, Ward 1 (re-elected)
  • Gaylord Z. Thomas, Ward 3 (re-elected)
  
  
• Norman
• Cindy Rosenthal, mayor (re-elected)
• Greg Heiple, Ward 1 (challenger)
• Robert Castleberry, Ward 3 (re-elected)
• Lynne Miller, Ward 5 (challeger)
• Stephen Tyler Holman, Ward 7 (challenger)


• Stillwater
• Gina Noble, Seat 2 (challenger)

Each pledged "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."
 
What if they don't live up to these promises now that they've been elected?
 
Then voters should show them the door at the next election and elect people with the integrity to conduct our government in the open. Ultimately, it's up to the voters to hold our elected officials accountable.
 

 
Joey Senat, Ph.D
Associate Professor
OSU School of Media & Strategic Communications
 
The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the commentators and do not necessarily represent the position of FOI Oklahoma Inc., its staff, or its board of directors. Differing interpretations of open government law and policy are welcome.

Cash prizes to be awarded in FOI essay contest for Oklahoma college students

Oklahoma college students are invited to enter FOI Oklahoma’s third annual freedom of information essay contest by writing a paper of about 500 words on one of the following topics:

• How have you used Oklahoma’s Open Meeting and Open Records laws to encourage and facilitate an informed citizenry’s participation in government?


• Should the public have access to emails and other written communications between Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and her Cabinet regarding the creation and implementation of state policy?

Please include at the top of your essay the question you are answering. No other title, please.
 
Students should research the topic as well as write creatively and personally.
 
Entries must be typed and double-spaced.
 
Cash prizes of $300, $200 and $100 will be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winners respectively.
 
Essay winners will be recognized and receive their prizes during FOI Oklahoma’s sixth annual Sunshine Week Conference on March 9 at OU's Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communication in Norman.
 
Winning essays will be distributed at the conference and published on FOI Oklahoma’s website.
 
Entries must be received by 5 p.m., Feb. 25.
 
Send entries as email attachments to Joey Senat, OSU School of Media & Strategic Communications, at joey.senat@okstate.edu. Entries are preferred in Word or PDF format.
 
Each entry must include in the top left-hand corner (single-spaced) the STUDENT’S:

• Name
• School
• Mailing address
• Phone number
• Email address

If you have questions about the contest, please contact Joey Senat at (405) 744-8277 or joey.senat@okstate.edu.
 

Oklahoma Sunshine ’13: Fighting for an Open Government

As Gov. Mary Fallin claims privileges for secrecy, two states provide opposing models for public access to a governor's emails and other correspondence.
 
In Louisiana, the Jindal administration's broad interpretation of "deliberative process" has spread outside his office to be used as a justification for withholding records on controversial and politically sensitive topics. In contrast, Florida's governor created an online system that releases email by him and his top staff members.
 
At FOI Oklahoma's Sunshine Week Conference on March 9, experts from Louisiana and Florida will discuss how these differing approaches to transparency affect what the public knows about the formulation of state policies.
 
Also on the program:
 
Oklahomans have limited options when officials wrongly deny access to a record or meeting. But other states in 2012 gave the public someone to go to for help.
 
Maine's first public access ombudsman and the chairman of Iowa's new Public Information Board will explain their roles in making government accessible and give advice on creating an appeals process in Oklahoma that doesn't require going to court.
 
The conference will be at OU's Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, 395 W. Lindsey St., Norman.
 
March 6 is the advance deadline for registration.
 

 
Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Media & Strategic Communications
 

 

Guthrie candidates sign Open Government Pledge

A Guthrie city councilman running for mayor and a fellow incumbent seeking re-election have pledged to support the letter and spirit of Oklahoma's open government laws.
 
By signing FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge, the candidates also 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."
 
Signing the pledge were Trey Ayers, a Ward 1 incumbent running for mayor; and Gaylord Z. Thomas, a Ward 3 incumbent running for re-election on April 2.
 
The Guthrie City Council consists of seven members. The mayor is elected to two-year terms. The six remaining members represent three wards -- two council members per ward -- and are elected to four-year terms. Four seats on the council are open for election every two years. All elections are non-partisan.
 
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.
 
Signers are listed on the FOI Oklahoma website.
 

 
Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Media & Strategic Communications