Oklahoma House Honors Bombing Victims


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Ray Carter, House Media
Capitol: (405) 557-7421

Contact: State Rep. Susan Winchester
Capitol: (405) 557-7333
Chickasha: (405) 224-5789

Oklahoma House Honors Bombing Victims, Approves Memorial Funding

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 14) - Oklahoma state lawmakers commemorated the
10th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing on Thursday and also
approved a $5 million appropriation for the bombing memorial.
House Concurrent Resolution 1020, by State Rep. Susan
Winchester, commemorated the lives lost to the April 19, 1995 bombing in
Oklahoma City and praised the nation's response.
"Having lost a sister in the bombing, I know how significant
April 19 is to hundreds of families across the state and it was only
fitting that we show our support for those individuals today," said
Winchester, R-Chickasha.
The resolution notes that the bombing was "one of the worst
terrorist attacks on American soil," killing 168 and injuring more than
850 Americans, affecting "thousands of families and millions of people
across the State of Oklahoma and the United States of America."
The resolution also states that people across the country
"responded to this tragedy through the remarkable efforts of local,
state and federal law enforcement, fire and emergency services, search
and rescue teams, public and private medical personnel and volunteers
from the community who saved lives endangered by this terrorist act."
HCR 1020 praises the creation of the Oklahoma City National
Memorial, which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the
world and "brings comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity" to those
visitors.
Following adoption of HCR 1020, the Oklahoma House of
Representatives also voted to provide $5 million to the Oklahoma City
National Memorial.
House Bill 1001, by Winchester, appropriates $5 million in state
funds to the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department to establish an
endowment for the memorial.
The state appropriation would match a $5 million federal
appropriation previously authorized by Congress, which would be lost
without the state match.
"By giving the memorial one-time funding, we can ensure that
future generations will be able to come to the memorial to honor,
reflect, and experience hope," Winchester said. "The memorial seeks not
only to educate people about the senselessness of violence, but also
challenges them to take personal responsibility for making the world a
better place, and Oklahoma lawmakers are united in their support of that
mission."
Last November, local, state and federal officials kicked off a
national fund-raising campaign to establish an $18 million endowment for
the memorial. Private donations are expected to contribute $5 million of
that goal. The fully funded endowment will be sufficient to maintain the
memorial into the future.
The memorial attracts 500,000 visitors each year, most coming
from out-of-state and staying in Oklahoma an average of 3.7 days. Since
the museum's opening in 2001, the memorial's economic impact has been
$173 million, according to an independent study.
More than 400 schools, including students from each Oklahoma
county, have toured the memorial and museum and are currently using
curriculum in the classroom that was coordinated by the Oklahoma
Department of Education and the Memorial's Education Department.
Distance learning opportunities are also provided nationwide.
House Bill 1001 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on
a 95-0 vote and is headed to the governor's desk.
Gov. Brad Henry has already said he will sign the bill at a 3
p.m. ceremony on Monday, April 18.
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