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.

Oklahoma’s initiative-petition process allows voters to determine major policy issues, but some system flaws have become apparent. That’s why Oklahomans should support bringing greater transparency to the petition process.

Under Senate Bill 1027, the initiative-petition process would have to include clear language, transparent reporting of funders, and buy-in from a wider swath of Oklahoma. None of these ideas should be controversial.