Governor announces stimulus council

We are very pleased to learn that Governor Henry has announced the creation of a coordinating council to help oversee use of federal stimulus funds. OK Policy was out front in calling for such an entity to allow for input and transparency in the distribution of funds from the massive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Governor previously designated the State Auditor to lead the effort to ensure oversight of stimulus funds and launched a state website at http://www.ok.gov/recovery/ to provide publicly-accessible information on the various funding streams contained in the stimulus package. Given the unprecedented magnitude and critical importance of the stimulus bill, the coordinating council is another important component of the effort to develop public confidence that funds are being spent efficiently and honestly.

The coordinating council is set to hold its first meeting on Friday, March 13th at 3:00 p.m. in the Governor’s large conference room at the Capitol.

UPDATE: Here’s the Governor’s Executive Order creating the Coordinating Council