Jet officials sign Open Government Pledge

Two Jet town officials have pledged to "comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws."
 
City Clerk/Treasurer Stephanie L. Carson and Town Trustee Matt Morris were elected in April.
 
By signing FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge, Carson and Morris pledged "to support at every opportunity ... the inherent right [of Oklahomans] 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 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 2013 and previous elections can be found on FOI Oklahoma’s website.
 

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

Re-elected incumbent, two other Stillwater candidates pledged to comply with open government laws

Stillwater City Council incumbent Joe Weaver had signed FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge before his re-election in early April.
 
Nine pledge-signers, including Weaver, were elected in municipal elections on April 2.
 
Weaver, OSU's administration & finance vice president, promised that he and the Stillwater city government "will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws."
 
Weaver also 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."
 
Also signing the pledge prior to the election were Weaver's opponent OSU employee Micah LeFebvre and incumbent Philip Pina, who lost to Gina Noble, an OSU faculty member who also had signed the pledge.
 
The Stillwater League of Women Voters collected the signed pledges from Weaver, LeFebvre and Pina in late March but didn't mail them to FOI Oklahoma until after the election.
 
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

Norman council candidate signs Open Government Pledge

A Norman City Council candidate has promised that if elected Tuesday, she and the city government "will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws."
 
By signing FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge, Lynne Miller 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."
 
Miller, a retired Norman Public Schools principal, is seeking the Ward 5 seat in the election.
 
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
 

Blanchard, Depew incumbents seeking re-election promise to comply with spirit, letter of open government laws

Blanchard Mayor Frank Broyles and Depew Town Trustee Mylora Tuttle have signed FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge as they seek re-election April 2.
 
Broyles and Tuttle pledged that if re-elected, they and their municipal governments "will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws."
 
They 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."
 
Broyles had signed the pledge in 2011 prior to being elected to fill an unexpired term to represent Ward 4 on the City Council.
 
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
 

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 councilman signs Open Government Pledge

Guthrie Councilman John Wood has pledged to support the letter and spirit of Oklahoma's open government laws if re-elected April 2.
 
By signing FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge, Wood 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."
 
Wood, a political science professor at Rose State College, has represented Ward 1 since 2009. He earned three academic degrees from OSU: a bachelor's in journalism, master's in political science, and doctorate in environmental policy and conflict.
 
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
 

Pledge signers are elected to school boards for first time

Lynne Hardin and Melissa M. Abdo are the first school board members to have signed FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge.
 
Hardin was elected Tuesday to lead the Oklahoma City School Board. She defeated incumbent Angela Monson by 169 votes, 3,376 to 3,207.
 
Abdo ran unopposed for the Jenks School Board.
 
As candidates, Abdo and Hardin promised that they and the school districts they were elected to govern "will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma’s Open Meeting and Open Records laws."
 
They also 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."
 
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

Jenks School Board candidate promises open government

An unopposed candidate for the Jenks School Board has signed FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge.
 
In signing the pledge, Melissa M. Abdo promised to comply with the spirit and letter of the state's open government laws.
 
She also 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."
 
Abdo will replace School Board President Joe Hidy in representing Ward 3. Hidy chose not to seek re-election after serving two five-year terms.
 
Abdo is president of the Tulsa Area Parent Legislative Action Committee. The organization was created five years ago by a small group of parents, including Abado, whose children attended Jenks Public Schools.
 
The nonpartisan group has grown to include parents from the Sapulpa, Sand Springs, Union, Owasso and Broken Arrow school districts. Members visit the Capitol during the legislative session to lobby for or against specific education bills.
 
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
 

 

Norman City Council incumbent, candidates promise support of open government

An incumbent and two other candidates seeking seats on the Norman City Council have signed FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge.
 
In signing the pledge, all three promised that they and Norman city government "will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma’s Open Meeting and Open Records laws."
 
They also 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."
 
Ward 3 incumbent Robert Castleberry, 48, faces one challenger in the April 2 election. Castleberry, a CPA, was appointed to the seat in August.
 
Small business owner Greg Heiple, 48, is running for the Ward 1 position. The incumbent, Roger Gallagher, signed the Open Government Pledge in 2011.
 
Stephen Tyler Holman, 28, is seeking the Ward 7 seat. Holman serves on the city's 2060 Strategic Water Supply Committee and is the liaison for the city element in organizing the Norman Music Festival. The incumbent, Linda Lockett, also has signed the pledge.
 
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
 

 

Stillwater City Council candidate promises open government

An OSU faculty member has pledged to comply with the letter and spirit of Oklahoma's open government laws if elected to the Stillwater City Council.
 
In signing FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge, Gina Noble 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."
 
Noble is a clinical assistant professor with OSU's School of Media and Strategic Communications.
 
She is running against incumbent Philip Pina for Council Seat 2. The election is April 2.
 
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
 

 

Candidate for Oklahoma City School Board chair signs Open Government Pledge

Lynne Hardin has promised the Oklahoma City School Board will comply with the letter and spirit of the state's open government laws if voters elect her as its chairwoman on Tuesday.
 
By signing FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge, Hardin 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."
 
Hardin, a local business owner, is challenging incumbent Angela Monson for the at-large position.
 
The school board has been criticized for its secrecy. Last month, the board initially refused to release a document detailing reasons for denying two charter school applications.
 
In late 2011, Monson refused to release a proposed operating agreement between the district and a charter school group until after the board voted.
 
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
 

 

Norman City Council incumbent re-signs Open Government Pledge

Norman Councilwoman Linda Lockett has renewed her support for open government as she seeks another two-year term in the city's municipal election on April 2.
 
Lockett, 74, signed FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge when she ran for the Ward 7 seat in 2011.
 
By signing the pledge, Lockett promised to comply with the letter and spirit of Oklahoma's open government laws.
 
She also 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."
 
Lockett serves on the Council's Oversight Committee and as chairwoman of its Business and Community Affairs Committee, according to her official bio.
 
She is a life-long resident of Ward 7, which encompasses an area from about Brooks Street to the southern boundary of Norman, bordered on the west by Chautauqua Avenue and on the east by 12th Avenue East/Classen Boulevard.
 
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

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.
 

Norman mayoral candidate promises to comply with open government laws

The chairman of Norman's Board of Adjustment has signed FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge as a candidate for mayor.
 
Thomas E. Sherman promised to comply with the letter and spirit of Oklahoma's open government laws.
 
Sherman also 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."
 
Sherman is one of three candidates to file for mayor. The election will be April 2. If needed, a runoff would be May 14. Norman municipal races are nonpartisan.
 
Mayor Cindy Rosenthal, who is seeking re-election, signed the Open Government Pledge in 2010.
 
Sherman, 67, has served on the Board of Adjustment since 2006. He retired from McClain Bank in 2010 and is controller for Fowler Holding Co. He is a past chairman of the Norman Chamber of Commerce and a past president of the Norman Business Association.
 
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

Ask local candidates to sign Open Government Pledge

Freedom of Information Oklahoma Inc. invites candidates for municipal offices and school board seats this spring to pledge to abide by the letter and spirit of the state's open government laws.
 
In signing the Open Government Pledge, candidates promise that they and the public bodies that they are "elected to govern will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws."
 
Each candidate also promises 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."
 
The pledge and instructions for having it signed can be found on FOI Oklahoma’s website. Lists of signers also can be found on the website.
 
FOI Oklahoma began the Open Government Pledge in 2008 as part of a national effort to spur public commitments to government transparency from candidates for president down to city council contests.
 

 

FOI Oklahoma seeks nominations for First Amendment, freedom of information awards for 2012

Nominations are open for FOI Oklahoma’s awards recognizing individuals and organizations that promoted the First Amendment and the free flow of information to the public in 2012.
 
FOI Oklahoma also recognizes those who opposed dissemination of public information with its Black Hole Award.
 
The Ben Blackstock Award is presented to a non-governmental person or organization that has shown a commitment to freedom of information. The Sunshine Award goes to a public official or governmental body that has shown a commitment to open meetings and open records.
 
FOI Oklahoma also recognizes an Oklahoman who has promoted education about or protection of the individual rights guaranteed by the First Amendment with its Marian Opala First Amendment Award. The award is named for the late Oklahoma Supreme Court justice, a Polish immigrant who exemplified a belief in First Amendment rights.
 
All four awards will be presented during the Sunshine Week conference March 9. The local conference is in conjunction with national Sunshine Week, March 10-16.
 
The deadline for nominations for all four awards is Feb. 21.
 
Nominations must include a letter of no more than 250 words justifying why the person or organization is deserving of the award.
 
Nominations may be made via e-mail to foiawards@gmail.com or mailed to FOI Awards, PO Box 5315, Edmond, OK 73083-5315.
 
The 2011 winner of the Opala Award was Anthony Shadid, the Oklahoma City native and New York Times reporter who died in Syria.
 
The Blackstock Award was presented to Nicholas Harrison, a University of Oklahoma law school graduate.
 
Bradon Clabes, police chief of Midwest City, was recipient of the Sunshine Award.
 
The Black Hole Award went to Edmond City Manager Larry Stevens and the Edmond Police Department.
 
FOI Oklahoma is a statewide not-for-profit founded in 1990 to educate the public on the First Amendment and openness in government.
 

FOI Oklahoma calls on Gov. Fallin to drop privilege claims, release records

 
Dear Gov. Fallin:

I am writing as president of FOI Oklahoma Inc. to express disappointment that you have withheld important records and emails you used in making decisions impacting the citizens of Oklahoma.

Your office has claimed at least three times recently that executive branch privileges allow you to hide records from public view.

This is disappointing because conducting government in secrecy defies the state's Open Records Act and frustrates the ability of citizens to understand basic functions of state government.

Your actions are puzzling because you signed a pledge on March 13, 2010, that you "will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records Laws."

You also pledged to "support at every opportunity" the state's policy that "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."

Your legal advisers have claimed that records requested by various media outlets are protected by privileges that far exceed what the state Legislature and the state Supreme Court have granted government officials.

State courts have not recognized that executive privilege and deliberative process privilege exist under the state Constitution.

Your attorney, Steve Mullins, was quoted in The Oklahoman as saying your administration is "more open than anybody else has ever been."

Yet, you want privileges of secrecy that none of your predecessors thought was necessary.

I ask you to drop the executive privilege claims and release the records withheld under those claims.

Sincerely,

Lindel Hutson
President
FOI Oklahoma Inc. 

First Amendment Congress essay contest for high school students

Oklahoma high school students can win up to $300 in the 2012 Zach Taylor First Amendment Congress Essay Contest.
 
This year's theme: In your opinion, what is the greatest threat to First Amendment freedoms in this day and age?
 
Students are encouraged to do factual research on the topic, but to write creatively and personally, rather than to write a report.
 
Essays should be about 500 words, typed and double-spaced. Grammar and spelling will be considered.
 
Entries must be received by 5 p.m., Oct. 11. Email entries to Dr. Vickie Williams at ccosabulk@gmail.com. Click here for more details.
 
First prize is $300. Second- and third-place winners will receive $200 and $100, respectively.
 
Winners will be recognized at FOI Oklahoma's 14th annual First Amendment Congress on Oct. 31 at the University of Central Oklahoma.
 
Among the speakers will be Adam Goldstein, attorney advocate for the Student Press Law Center. He will discuss current First Amendment issues for high school students and teachers.
 
The registration deadline is Oct. 25. Click here for details.
 

Grant County commissioner promises open government

Grant County Commissioner Cindy Bobbitt has signed FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge.
 
The Republican from Lamont is seeking re-election to the commission's District 2 seat.
 
The general election is Nov. 6.
 
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.
 
In signing the pledge, candidates promise "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."
 
Candidates for local and statewide offices also pledge that they and the public bodies they are "elected to govern will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws."
 
Instructions for signing the pledge and lists of signers are on the FOI Oklahoma website.
 

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

Hinton chamber president signs FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge

The Hinton Chamber of Commerce president has pledged to "support legislation to strengthen the letter and the spirit" of Oklahoma's open government laws if elected to the House District 60 seat.
 
In signing FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge, Kendra Menz-Kimble, a Democrat, also endorsed "the purpose of Oklahoma’s Open Meeting and Open Records laws to ensure and facilitate the public's understanding of governmental processes and problems."
 
The general election is Nov. 6.
 
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.
 
In signing the pledge, candidates promise "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."
 
Candidates for local and statewide offices also pledge that they and the public bodies they are "elected to govern will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws."
 
Instructions for signing the pledge and lists of signers are on the FOI Oklahoma website.
 

 
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.