A softball question was lobbed at members and candidates for the Norman City Council at the League of Women Voters forum. Are you a proponent of the Open Meetings Act?
Who would say no to such a question? But many candidates -- and incumbents for that matter -- haven't read the act and don't often understand the ramifications of the act.
There have been many attorney general's rulings and court cases brought to refine the law but the overall intent remains the same: Allow responsible access to the deliberations and documents produced by public bodies.
Drew Edmondson, Oklahoma's Attorney General and a staunch proponent of openness, sent a letter to all public officers, employees, interested public and the press. His simple advice should be tattooed on every candidate's hand: Assume all records are open to the public and executive sessions should be avoided.
"The most common problem with public meetings is executive sessions," Mr. Edmondson wrote. "There are specifically enumerated instances when such sessions are allowed, but those instances require the posting of agendas which give the public a clear idea of what is to be discussed in the sessions."
Groups like the Oklahoma Press Association and FOI Oklahoma continue to push for sunshine and openness. We'll provide copies of both the Open Meetings and Open Records Act to the candidates if they need them.
