A former school superintendent has pledged “to support legislation to strengthen” the state’s open government laws if elected to the House District 10 seat.

 In signing FOI Oklahoma’s Open Government Pledge for legislative candidates, Democrat Kevin Stacy 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.”

Stacy faces Republican Judd Strom in the Nov. 6 general election. Strom defeated incumbent Travis Dunlap in the GOP primary in August.

House District 10 includes Nowata County and parts of Washington and Osage counties. The district includes Bartlesville, Copan, Delaware, Dewey, Lenapah, New Alluwe, Nowata, Ochelata, Ramona, Skiatook, South Coffeyville, Vera and Wann.

Stacy taught agriculture education in the Delaware Public Schools and Oklahoma Union Public Schools for 24 years. He retired June 30 as superintendent of the Oklahoma Union school district.

FOI Oklahoma invites all candidates for state, local and legislative seats to sign the pledge on FOI Oklahoma’s website, where a list of signers also can be found.

Since FOI Oklahoma began the pledge in 2008, 186 candidates have signed — with 95, or 51 percent —being elected at least once. FOI Oklahoma began the Open Government Pledge as part of a national effort to spur public commitments to government transparency from candidates for president down to city council contests.

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

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the commentators and do not necessarily represent the position of FOI Oklahoma Inc., its staff, its board of directors or the commentator’s employer. Differing interpretations of open government law and policy are welcome.