Advocacy Groups Land First Ever Access Survey From Governor Candidates

(September 2004) Voters in Indiana’s gubernatorial election now can judge the candidates by their stances on numerous issues affecting access to government records and meetings. All three candidates have responded to a survey conducted by the Indiana Coalition for Open Government and the Society of Professional Journalists (Indiana Professional Chapter).

The candidates – Republican Mitch Daniels, Libertarian Kenn Gividen, and Democrat Joe Kernan – each were asked to respond to 15 questions about issues ranging from serial meetings to public officials’ e-mail and given three weeks to respond. Their answers are posted unedited and in their entirety.

“This is a great opportunity for voters to learn how each candidate will approach the issue of government’s accessibility to the people,” said Gerry Lanosga, president of SPJ’s Indiana Pro Chapter. “We believe this is a critical issue not just for journalists, but also for every member of the public who has tried to get access to a public meeting, official or document.”

“We make no recommendation for any specific candidate,” said Marian Pearcy, president of the Indiana Coalition for Open Government. “But we do invite citizens to review all three surveys and decide for themselves who would do the best job of keeping government open to public scrutiny.”

To reach the candidates’ responses, follow the links below:
Mitch Daniels, Republican
Kenn Gividen, Libertarian
Governor Joe Kernan, Democrat