Longtime funeral director Roger Ford has pledged “to support legislation to strengthen the letter and the spirit” of Oklahoma’s open government laws if elected to the House District 95 seat. In signing FOI Oklahoma’s Open Government Pledge for legislative candidates, Ford also promised “to support at every opportunity” the state’s public policy 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.”

While Ford was earning a degree in funeral service education from Central State University (now UCO), he began working at a local family funeral business in which he later became part owner. He opened Ford Funeral Service in 2003, according to his campaign website.

The Republican is facing Democrat James J. Cook in the Nov. 8 election. Incumbent Charlie Joyner chose not to seek re-election. Cook, a former president of Rose State College, also has signed the Open Government Pledge.

House District 95 covers parts of Midwest City and Oklahoma City, including Tinker Air Force Base.

FOI Oklahoma invites all candidates for state, local and legislative seats to sign its Open Government Pledge. Instructions and lists of signers can be found on FOI Oklahoma’s website.

Joey Senat, Ph.D. Associate Professor OSU School of Media & Strategic Communications Mass Communication Law in Oklahoma