Fallin Lobbies Caucus On Completing Indian Museum
Governor prods House Republicans to finish American Indian museum in Oklahoma City
By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Mary Fallin met behind closed doors with Republican House members on Monday to generate support for a funding plan for the mothballed American Indian Cultural Center and Museum.
The Senate has passed Senate Bill 1651, which would tap the state’s Unclaimed Property Fund for $40 million that would be matched with $40 million in private donations.
The measure is pending before the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, which meets Wednesday. It must clear that committee before it can be heard on the House floor.
But House Speaker Jeff Hickman, R-Fairview, said he will not bring the measure to the House floor unless he knows at least 51 Republicans will vote for it. Republicans control the House with 72 members to 29 Democrats.
I want to know why the American Indian Tribes don’t finish this center. They are the ones with all the money from their casinos and tobacco shops. I think that if the State wants to use any unclaimed funds, they should use it to help repair the Capitol building. I worked for the state for 16 years, 8 of them in the Capitol building, and I believe that the unclaimed funds would be better spent there, not on some half-finished piece of land that the “Native Americans” should want to finish with their money, so they can feel pride that they did something constructive.
Just my opinion.