A bill in the Oklahoma Legislature is on the cusp of creating an Oklahoma Route 66 Commission and earmarking up to $6.6 million in annual funding for the preservation and development of the historic highway.
The Oklahoma House advanced the bill by a 72-6 vote, and the Senate advanced it to the governor by a 39-6 vote on Friday.
The Stilwell (Oklahoma) Record-Democrat had some of the details:
House Bill 4457, authored by Rep. Mark Lawson, R-Sapulpa, and co-authored by Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, and Rep. Meloyde Blancett, D-Tulsa, creates the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission, which will consider and approve projects to maximize the long-term economic potential of Route 66 in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is home to the longest drivable stretch of the “Mother Road” with more than 400 miles.
The bill also creates the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission Revolving Fund, which will designate monies to approved projects for the purpose of preserving and developing Route 66. The fund may receive up to $6,600,000 per year.
Lawson stated he wanted the bill to “develop businesses and sites along Route 66 as we prepare for the centennial and look forward to the next 100 years.” Route 66 centennial is in 2026.
The commission would consist of nine members:
- One member each appointed by the governor, Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Oklahoma Tourism;
- Three appointed by the Oklahoma Senate’s president pro tempore who is a citizen of a county where Route 66 traverses, a municipal official from a Route 66 town with a population of more than 10,000 and “an Oklahoma citizen with expertise or experience in historic preservation”;
- Three appointed by the Oklahoma House speaker who is a citizen of a county where Route 66 traverses, a Route 66 business owner in a town of fewer than 10,000 people and “an Oklahoma citizen with expertise or experience in marketing.”
If signed by the governor, the law would take effect July 1. The commission would remain in effect through mid-2027.
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