Week illuminates Oklahoma's open government
Oklahomans who care about freedom of information can learn about related issues during a conference Saturday to kick off Sunshine Week.
Sunshine Week is a national initiative to raise awareness about the public’s right to know what government agencies are doing. Every year people who care about open government and freedom of information participate in educational events or public forums that involve those issues. A nonprofit educational organization called FOI Oklahoma Inc. is hosting a conference in Oklahoma City on Saturday to kick off the week, which takes place this year from Sunday to March 20. The conference, called Oklahoma Sunshine ’10: Privacy, Politicians and the Public’s Need to Know, features more than a dozen speakers who will discuss issues such as legislation and releasing birth dates. Dick Pryor, president of FOI Oklahoma Inc., said Sunshine Week is an opportunity to celebrate the year’s successes and, in the tradition of open government, bring to light areas that need improvement. Saturday’s conference will help people learn how to get access to public information to which they are entitled and how to hold public officials accountable, Pryor said. "Each of us has an obligation to participate in the process and, when we do, it makes the process work better,” Pryor said. Joey Senat, an Oklahoma State University journalism professor, will open the event by talking about ways people can strengthen open government and data access in Oklahoma. "Access to what our government does, knowing what our government does is really a cornerstone of our democracy,” Senat said. "The people can’t be the rulers if they don’t know what the government is doing in their name.” Richard J.H. Varn, a data privacy expert, will discuss ways government agencies and legislators can protect against identity crimes without infringing on people’s right to open records. His proposed solutions include improved identity management technology and self-protection through education. Audience members will have an opportunity to ask candidates for governor and attorney general about their stance on freedom of information issues. The gubernatorial candidates who will speak at the conference are Jari Askins, Randy Brogdon, Drew Edmondson, Mary Fallin and Robert Hubbard. The attorney general candidate is Jim Priest. Other speakers include Paul C. Watler, an attorney for the Dallas Morning News, and Ryan McNeill, a computer-assisted reporting editor. They will discuss the legislative debate in Texas about public access to employee birthdates, as well as the newspaper’s lawsuit involving that issue. The conference is 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at The Oklahoma Publishing Co., 9000 N Broadway. Guests can register Saturday morning, but seating is limited. Cost is $10 for students and FOI Oklahoma Inc. members or $35 for others. That fee includes lunch and a one-year membership to the organization for nonmembers. For more information on the event, call the Oklahoma Library Association at 525-5100.
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