The book also includes a plain-English digest of every court ruling and attorney general opinion Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. "I was like, 'Well, that's not going to affect me. the OTA willfully violated Oklahoma's Open Meeting Act in a vote it took related to it's $5 billion dollar access Oklahoma Turnpike Expansion plan. There may be deficiencies that were simply procedural and we can learn from that and improve for the future, And then there may be errors that were substantive, that the OTA has a burden to sustain if it wants to continue doing what it, s request for an audit the OTA released a statement that, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority welcomes the opportunity to demonstrate how well it manages its duties and fiscal responsibilities and is always looking ways to improve its processes. Enid September 26Autry Technology Center-WebsiteRoom 201 -Campus Map1201 W. WillowEnid, OK 73703Google Maps directions to this location, Tulsa October 3OSU - Tulsa-WebsiteConference Center/Administration HallRoom: Auditorium -Campus map700 N. Greenwood Ave.Tulsa, OK 74106Google Maps directions to this location, McAlester October 17Eastern Oklahoma State College(McAlester campus) -WebsiteClark Bass BuildingRoom: 215, Conference Center -Campus Map1802 E College AveMcAlester, OK 74501Google Maps directions to this location, Lawton October 24Cameron University-WebsiteMcMahon Centennial ComplexMcCasland Foundation Ballroom -Campus map501 SW University DriveLawton, OK 73505Google Maps directions to this location, Oklahoma City November 14Metro Tech Conference Center-WebsiteBusiness Conference CenterRoom: Auditorium - Campus map1900 Springlake DriveOklahoma City, OK 73111-5240Google Maps directions to this location. Ward said those involved in the meetings act violations could, if prosecuted by the district attorney, face a year in county jail or a fine of up to $500. Other non-council meetings such as the PWA are not included in the computation. A map showing proposed turnpike routes for the ACCESS Oklahoma Turnpike project. The purpose of the act is to ensure and facilitate the public's right of access to and review of government records so they may efficiently and intelligently exercise their inherent political power. Read MoreTwo missing girls were suspected to be with convicted rapist, The mother of a missing 14-year-old girl in Okmulgee County says police just informed her seven bodies have been found on a property near Henryetta. High 76F. A couple weeks after the FOX23 Investigation airedDrummond announced he was calling on state auditor Cindy Byrd to audit the OTA. The future of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority's $5 billion ACCESS Oklahoma plan is in question following a ruling the agency "willfully" violated the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act . It turns out another legal expert was watching the story. Electronic and Telephonic Communications I believe in leading by example. Read the reports and hear the stories onNPR member stations. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. Oklahoma Open Meeting Act Office of Attorney General Jan Preslar, Deputy Attorney General There are consequences for willful violations of the Act: Civil Implications: Actions taken in willful violation are invalid. Mark your calendar and plan to attend. All residents have a right to the public records that belong to them. It's The Law "Oklahoma Open Meeting Act" 25 O.S. Information provided to the public such as what youve discovered and others, principally a state court judge in Cleveland County, puts my office on notice that we need to examine, Drummond told FOX23. Note: This post was updated on March 27, 2020 to include the FAQ #2 at the time it was released by the Attorney General. Just by virtue of opening an audit and investigation is enough for everybody on a go forward basis to act appropriately, A number of things could happen depending on what the audit does or doesn. 313 Minutes of an Executive Session will be made public where the Open Meeting Act is willfully violated. District Judge Timothy Olsen granted summary judgment on all counts in the case in which attorneys representing homeowners in the path of a new turnpike alleged the turnpike authority changed agendas to prevent the public from getting details of the ACCESS Oklahoma plan in advance of it being presented to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority board. But during the Open Meeting Act cases discovery period, Tarasov said OTA officials testified in depositions there was no reliance on legal counsels opinion. The Oklahoma Open Meeting Act requires that subjects to be discussed be provided to the public as part of agendas posted in advance of meetings. Continuing education credit hours are available from the following groups. All workshops are FREE to attend and no registration is required. A number of things could happen depending on what the audit does or doesnt find. You have permission to edit this article. Read MoreCarver Middle School hosts its annual Art Gala fundraiser, Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) confirms thatapproximately 18 businesses have been evacuated after a leak was found in the area near, East 21st Street and Highway 169. There was a problem saving your notification. The Attorney General looks at the conversion of the State Board of Health to a purely advisory body. Just by virtue of opening an audit and investigation is enough for everybody on a go forward basis to act appropriately, he said. But lawyers Stan Ward, Alexey Tarasov and Richard Lebarthe the team that won the Open Meeting case said contract payments that had already been made cant be ratified because the contracts themselves were voided by the courts decision. In that investigation, legal experts told FOX23. Read MoreVigil held in Henryetta after seven bodies found, The City of Broken Arrow held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for the start of construction on its 40-plus-acre Elam Park. Transportation spokeswoman Brenda Perry-Clark said the judge's decision was being evaluated after the ruling came out about 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Go to Open Meetings The Open Meetings Act (OMA) took effect January 1, 1977. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. hTO[U?- "It seems as if we prosecute some crimes more vigorously than we prosecute others.". If the agenda for the public meeting states that the comments be limited to items on the agenda, any interview questions would be outside the scope of the agenda and in violation of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. During the debate in the legislature, Attorney General Mike Hunter reached out to a member of the FOI Oklahoma board to assure us that his office would quickly write and issue Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that clarify the language of the bill. Read MoreTragic end to an Amber Alert after 7 bodies found on Henryetta property, The polls have closed and theresultsare in, Rosco will be the new name of one of the new K-9s at Rogers County Sheriff's Office (RCSO)! When Defendant OTA Executive Director Tim Gatz and Governor Kevin Stitt announced the rollout of ACCESS Oklahoma at the Feb. 22, 2022 meeting, they were committing the State of Oklahoma to this $5 billion ACECSS program, Wards motion states. This can be done many ways. In the document, Ward disagrees with the argument that the director's report was irrelevant to the case, citing a 1981 Oklahoma Attorney General opinion that defined business on an agenda. We think this is the most dollar amount ever considered in the context of an open meeting case, he said. 25 O.S. StateImpact Oklahoma isa collaboration of KGOU, KOSU, KWGS and KCCU. Want to stay up-to-date on the latest news about open government and FOI Oklahoma? Olsen declared the open meetings act violation was "willful. The OTA knew the general routes of the turnpike plan for ACCESS Oklahoma before the Feb. 22, 2022, meeting. 307(F)(2). hbbd```b``/dN )$`# F{ c #'HhQ? "Meeting" Defined 25 O.S. Requirements on access to public records and the conduct of public meetings will More:Emails show Oklahoma Turnpike Authority bought domain names opposing $5 billion expansion plan. I . Julie Pittman, General Counsel and Thomas Schneider, Deputy General CounselOffice of the Oklahoma Attorney General. 0 2511 0 obj <>stream Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General Attorney General John M. O'Connor and the Oklahoma Press Association invite you to attend any of these free sessions designed to deal directly with your questions and concerns about Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Records Acts. . I made it a priority to honor these requests, and my team went to work. That there was not a full and complete record and transparency.. Before February, Jaci Statton wasn't particularly focused on Oklahoma's abortion bans. 0:04. Attorney General opinion regarding the confidentiality of settlement agreements reached between the Insurance Commissioner and pharmacy benefit managers under the Patients Right to Pharmacy Choice Act. A local attorney who sued the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority for Open Meeting Act violations and won is now suing the agency and its contractors. On Monday, Drummond met with some of those upset Berryhill residents FOX23 introduced you toas well as state lawmakers from the area. The spokesperson said the OTAs ratification action at its January 2023 board meeting sufficiently rehabilitated what the Court found to be deficient.. EXCLUSIVE: Drummond says FOX23 Investigation, judges ruling key in call for OTA audit, In an exclusive one-on-one sit-down, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said records uncovered in a FOX23 Investigation are part of what led him to, FOX23 also uncovered an email warning project leaders to explicitly state the existing stretch of the Gilcrease Expressway in Berryhill would become tolled on some public meeting flyers, The FOX23 Investigation also uncovered records of a behind-closed-doors meeting where officials came up with solutions to do away with the toll. Local organizations are invited, including city council representatives, county offices, school board representatives, attorneys, agency representatives and law enforcement. A willful violation means business conducted during those meetings is invalid, Ward said at the time. The future of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authoritys $5 billion ACCESS Oklahoma plan is in question following a ruling the agency "willfully" violated the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. It OTA disputes that, then they take it up on appeal. For more information, emaillsutliff@okpress.com. DEBRA SCHWARTZ Assistant Attorney General. TULSA, Okla.In an exclusive one-on-one sit-down, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said records uncovered in a FOX23 Investigation are part of what led him to call for an audit of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. "The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority has always endeavored to conduct its statutory mission to construct, operate, repair and maintain turnpike projects in an open and transparent manner," Perry-Clark said. endstream endobj startxref Evidence presented of the meetings act violation included depositions of board members, including turnpike board chairman Gene Love, that said they did not know details of ACCESS Oklahoma or the new turnpikes until the Feb. 22 meeting. Click here to donate online to support our journalism. Low 52F. More:Judge rules Oklahoma Turnpike Authority 'willfully' violated open meetings law. The Attorney General looks at whether the Board of Tests for Alcohol and Drug Influence is subject to 62 O.S.2021, 211, such that it must pay ten percent (10%) of all gross fees it receives into the General Revenue Fund. Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General313 NE 21st StreetOklahoma City, OK 73105, Oklahoma City: (405) 521-3921Tulsa: (918) 581-2885Fax: (405) 521-6246. Attorney General opinion regarding whether Oklahoma law allows a company to sell its own real estate without having to obtain a real estate license. Under the Open Meeting Law, the public is. AG Opinion 2022-7 December 1, 2022 This opinion has been withdrawn. One function of the Attorney General is to issue opinions to legislators and other state officers regarding questions of law in which the officer is officially interested. Labarthe filed the motion Friday with the Cleveland County Court Clerk. Regardless, the good faith defense doesnt apply to outside entities like engineering firms, so theyre liable for the funds, Tarasov said. Mark your calendar and plan to attend. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. I am pleased to report that backlog has been eliminated, and we have fulfilled more than 34 additional Open Records requests since my taking office. Seminars are not yet scheduled for 2023 with new Attorney General Gentner Drummond, but we will hopefully have information by July. ", -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. Business to be transacted as meaning all matters to be discussed at a meeting of a public body must be listed on the agenda for the meeting, he argued in the motion. Read MoreMay is Tulsas wettest month with the highest risk of tornadoes, The Carver Middle School art program, located in Tulsa, hosted its annual Art Gala at the Greenwood Gallery on Monday. The Attorney General Opinions are presented online for informational use only and do not replace the official versions. Read MoreVictim in soliciting case says McFadden texted her night before 7 bodies were found, What started as an amber alert ended with seven bodies found on a Henryetta property. In responding to a request for an opinion from a state legislator regarding the Oklahoma Sheriffs' Association, Attorney General Mike Hunter found "it meets the definition of 'public body' and is therefore subject to both the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act and the Oklahoma Open Records Act." As Oklahoma's attorney general, one of my top priorities is to aggressively enforce the Open Records and Open Meeting Acts across state government. call for an audit of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. These principles are imperative for citizens to hold their government accountable. Oklahoma's Open Meetings Act (25 O.S. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. with the states supreme court to re-decide whether it had indeed violated the Open Meeting Act. Drummond tells FOX23, no matter the outcome of that appeal, he wants more transparency from the OTA. Mr. Hayward suggested that the town check with the Attorney General's office as to whether Zoom meetings might be a violation of the state law. Case history Following the judge's ruling in Dec. 2020, Cleveland County Sheriff Chris Amason asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to determine if there was a criminal violation of. Attorney General opinion regarding the duties of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) in acquisitions by state agencies, including whether OMES is required to verify an agencys claim that an acquisition is exempted from requirements of the Central Purchasing Act. be explored in depth, and your questions will be welcomed. How do I request an Attorney General opinion? OPA's publication includes the complete text of Oklahoma's Open Meeting Act and Open Records Act, plus it's updated after each State legislative session. 18b (A(5)) provides the following language: The duties of the Attorney General as the chief law officer of the state shall be To give an opinion in writing upon all questions of law submitted to the Attorney General by the Legislature or either branch thereof, or by any state officer, board, commission or department, provided, that the Attorney General shall not furnish opinions to any but district attorneys, the Legislature or either branch thereof, or any other state official, board, commission or department, and to them only upon matters in which they are officially interested. In December, the OTA was found in violation of the states Open Meeting Act because of vague wording in its January and February meeting agendas, which authorized key engineering and design contracts for its controversial ACCESS Oklahoma project. of Title 25 of the Oklahoma Statutes; in their opinion, it's possible the turnpike authority violated the state's open meeting act. The entry must be signed by Ward, OTAs attorney and the judge, said Richard Labarthe, Wards co-counsel. :eV#Ln$j2Z_NRs+8s5Vvh44\_h%$W8#Ab8_ The entry states that the actions taken by OTA during those meetings is invalid, and that the rollout of the ACCESS plan is also invalid. 313. The turnpike authority also purchased several homes in the path of the proposed Norman area turnpikes. And then there may be errors that were substantivethat the OTA has a burden to sustain if it wants to continue doing what its doing., In response to Drummonds request for an audit the OTA released a statement that says in part, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority welcomes the opportunity to demonstrate how well it manages its duties and fiscal responsibilities and is always looking ways to improve its processes.". Emails show Oklahoma Turnpike Authority bought domain names opposing $5 billion expansion plan, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Under the Open Records Act, government agencies may NOT do which of the following?
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