Democratic candidate for state Senate District 40 seat signs Open Government Pledge

A public school teacher has pledged “to support legislation to strengthen” the state’s open government laws if elected Tuesday to the Senate District 40 seat.

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

Hicks faces Republican Joe Howell and independent Christopher Hensley in the general election. Howell beat incumbent Sen. Ervin Yen in the GOP primary.

Senate District 40 includes parts of Bethany, Nichols Hills, northwest Oklahoma City, The Village and Warr Acres.

Political observers consider it the Democrats’ best chance of flipping a state Senate seat on Tuesday even though it’s been in Republican hands for three decades, The Oklahoman reported. The district includes parts of House seats that Democrats have gained in recent years.

Hicks, a northwest Oklahoma City resident, teaches fourth-grade math and science at Grove Valley. She previously taught in the Putnam and Deer Creek school districts.

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
@Joey_Senat

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.