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.

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