Attorney General Gentner Drummond today in a release is urging legislators to significantly strengthen government transparency by passing House Bill 2163. His push for the measure comes during Sunshine Week, an annual event spotlighting the importance of public records and open government.

Authored by Rep. John Pfeiffer and Sen. Brent Howard, HB 2163 would statutorily create the Public Access Counselor unit in the Office of the Attorney General to review complaints where the requester believes a state department, board or commission has not addressed the request in a timely and reasonable manner.

Let’s hope this includes the Attorney General’s own office that is years past due in responding to this publication’s request for information on the unsolved Gertrude Marshall Blakey murder now over 44 years ago. The Tulsa Police Department will not release the file, claims the investigation is ongoing, but no investigation is being done. Someone is lying like a snake in the grass.

House Bill 2163 passed out of the House Government Oversight Committee early this month and is expected to be considered next week by the full House. Does it also include municipal government (including police) in Oklahoma? If not, why not?

“Transparency and accountability are critical for a government truly answerable to the people,” said Drummond. “Citizens have a right to know how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent and what their elected officials are doing to improve their lives.”

Drummond created the public access counselor position shortly after taking office. While the individual in that post, former state Sen. Anthony Sykes, has successfully worked with multiple agencies to ensure compliance with open records and open meetings, the public access counselor has lacked the ability to investigate and prosecute any unlawful acts.

“It is my hope that legislators will ensure the Open Records and Open Meeting Acts have teeth by approving HB 2163,” said Drummond.