The Muskogee Phoenix just published a letter in support of the Oklahoma Three to Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, sent to him by Oklahoma Independent Voters, a.k.a. “John Adair of Edmond and 46 other Oklahomans.” It’s brief enough that we feel we can spare you the trouble of clicking on a hyperlink (but if you do wish to see the appeal as it appears on the newspaper’s web site, feel free). The text:

As independent voters, we are concerned that the initiative and referendum process in Oklahoma is being threatened.Three initiative leaders were brought up on criminal charges by the attorney general (Drew Edmondson) for hiring out-of-state petition carriers to help place an initiative on the ballot after they had been assured that it was legal. More than 300,000 Oklahomans signed the petition. However, the court ultimately ruled the initiative off the ballot, and it was never voted on.

Now almost a year later, the attorney general has indicted the three initiative leaders for “willfully violating” the state’s residency requirements.

His persecution of the initiative leaders is a blow to the democratic rights of Oklahoma citizens. It serves only to frighten and intimidate voters from exercising their constitutional rights to participate in the initiative process.

We urge you to call on the attorney general to drop this indictment and to defend our right to initiative and petition.

Obviously the authors have the right idea about how the governor should be responding to the banana-republic-style indictment of Paul Jacob, Susan Johnson, and Rick Carpenter. The letter should be publicized as widely as possible. (For the facts of the case, click here. If you live near Oklahoma City and can spare some time to come out in support of the OK3 on January 28, the arraignment date set for Attorney General Edmondson’s do-over indictment, click here.)

Here’s a model press release for Governor Henry’s office to emulate once he decides to do the right thing.