Free meetings, open to the public

From the Oklahoma Press Association

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office will partner with the Oklahoma Press Association to host seminars on Oklahoma’s open meeting and open records laws in five locations across the state beginning Sept. 26.

This year’s seminars will feature Julie Pittman, General Counsel to the Attorney General of Oklahoma, and Thomas R. Schneider, Deputy General Counsel to the Attorney General of Oklahoma.

“Oklahoma’s open meeting and open records laws provide the framework for public access to government,” Attorney General John M. O’Connor said. “These seminars are an excellent opportunity for community residents and public officials to learn more about transparency in government.”

Pittman and Schneider will answer questions concerning the state’s open meeting and records laws and inform elected or appointed officials about their responsibility under the acts. They will also discuss requirements on access to public records and the conduct of public meetings.

“The vast majority of Oklahomans who hold positions on public bodies do so with a spirit of community service and work hard to follow the law,” O’Connor said. “Our seminars are designed to encourage compliance and promote openness through education.”

Seminars will be held at five locations:

• September 26 – Enid, Autry Technology Center, 1201 W. Willow

• October 3 – Tulsa, OSU-Tulsa, 700 N. Greenwood Ave

• October 17 – McAlester, Eastern Oklahoma State College, 1802 E. College Avenue

• October 24 – Lawton, Cameron University, 501 SW University Dr.

• November 14 – Oklahoma City, Metro Tech Conference Center, 1900 Springlake Dr.

The seminars will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. and are free and open to the public. No pre-registration is required.

The meetings were last hosted in 2019 and drew more than 500 attendees from state and local offices, school boards, public officials and residents.

Continuing education credits are available for attendance. Attorneys will receive three CLE credit hours. New school board members can get three credit hours from the Oklahoma State Department of Education, and new technology center board members can earn three credit hours from the State Department of Career and Technology Education.

Law enforcement officials are eligible to receive three credit hours from the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training. For more information, visit www.okpress.com/seminars or call OPA at 1-888-815-2672.