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Stories made possible by open records laws

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Following are some of the major stories The Oklahoman could not have published in the past year without open government laws.

When Oklahoma City officials wanted to upgrade the Ford Center to lure an NBA franchise, they set a March 4 vote to extend a 1-cent sales tax and pay for $121 million in improvements. Plans were unveiled in city council meetings and documents related to the ballot were easily available because of laws protecting the openness of government records.

Tinker killings

Tech Sgt. Dustin Thorson killed his daughter, 9-year-old Jourdain, and his son, 4-year-old Dylan, Feb. 25 at their home in the base housing area at Tinker Air Force Base before turning the gun on himself. Court records available on the Internet showed Thorson had threatened to harm them before. Thorson's ex-wife had asked a judge for a protective order in May 2007. According to court records, Thorson had threatened to kill both the children if the couple's divorce went through. Such court records may not be available for long. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled earlier this month to take records off the Internet, fearing thieves could use them to steal identities.

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