return to main index

  mobile - desktop
follow us on facebook follow us on twitter follow us on YouTube link to us on LinkedIn
International Reptile Conservation Foundation  
click here for Rodent Pro
This Space Available
3 months for $50.00
Locate a business by name: click to list your business
search the classifieds. buy an account
events by zip code list an event
Search the forums             Search in:
News & Events: Herp Photo of the Day: False Coral Snake . . . . . . . . . .  Herp Photo of the Day: Bearded Dragon . . . . . . . . . .  Greater Cincinnati Herp Society Meeting - Apr 02, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Calusa Herp Society Meeting - Apr 04, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Southwestern Herp Society Meeting - Apr 06, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Hamburg Reptile Show - Apr. 13, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  St. Louis Herpetological Society - Apr 14, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  San Diego Herp Society Meeting - Apr 16, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Suncoast Herp Society Meeting - Apr 20, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  DFW Herp Society Meeting - Apr 20, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Colorado Herp Society Meeting - Apr 20, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Chicago Herpetological Society Meeting - Apr 21, 2024 . . . . . . . . . . 
Join USARK - Fight for your rights!
full banner - advertise here .50¢/1000 views
click here for Rodent Pro
pool banner - $50 year

We oppose secrecy in your interest

[ Login ] [ User Prefs ] [ Search Forums ] [ Back to Main Page ] [ Back to Herp Law Center & Forum ] [ Reply To This Message ]
[ Register to Post ]

Posted by: mpollard at Tue Nov 1 14:35:44 2011  [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by mpollard ]  
   

Now, on to the exotic animals.

On Oct. 18, Terry Thompson let dozens of exotic and endangered creatures out of their cages and then committed suicide. Muskingum County authorities were left with choosing between public safety and saving the animals, and they chose the former.

Much attention was paid to an executive order banning ownership of exotic animals that Kasich allowed to expire. Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, had issued the order.

After the tragedy, Kasich was quick to note the state had a task force working on the issue. The task force met on Monday. However, the public was not allowed in. In fact, the public wasn’t told when or where the meeting was being held.

When reporter Alan Johnson pressed for access to and the location of the meeting, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said:

“Today’s meeting of the dangerous wild animal task force — like the previous five — is a meeting of stakeholders invited by the director to give him advice on this issue. As you are aware, the group wasn’t created by law, isn’t required to meet or take any action, and has no official power or policymaking authority. As this group isn’t a public body, there’s no legal difference between its meetings and any other the director would hold with interested parties he invited to ODNR to share their thoughts with him on key issues.”

In other words, take a hike, Ohioans.

We disagreed and appealed to the governor’s office. (ODNR’s director reports to Kasich.) We were told that the ODNR staff had consulted with the attorney general’s office, and that the governor’s office was “comfortable” with the meeting being closed. DeWine can’t say, legally, what advice was given because of attorney-client privilege.

DeWine did note that a task force he created to advise him has had public meetings, even if they’re not legally required. “There’s a question to what the law is, and there’s a question to what the policy is,” DeWine said.

Maybe journalists are the only ones uncomfortable with this being private. If you have a thought on the policy of keeping these discussions private, pro or con, let the folks at ODNR know. Here’s a number: 614-265-6565.

We’d love to know what you think of all of this, too. When we fight for access to information, which we do frequently, we do it on your behalf. It would help us to know how much you value this service.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/insight/2011/10/30/we-oppose-secrecy-in-your-interest.html
Link


   

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]


>> Next Message:  RE: We oppose secrecy in your interest - StephF, Tue Nov 1 14:41:59 2011