The Oklahoma Museums Association organized a great turn out for Museums Advocacy Day on 13 February. We assembled for some instructions, coffee, and cookies in one of the rooms at the Capitol.
We attended the opening session of legislature and were pointed out in the Chambers. In the divisive political climate museums truly have bi-partisan support which was very encouraging.
We then split into groups and went by our local representatives offices for a quick chat and to encourage their support for SN 289 - to reinstate the sales tax exemption for 501(c)(3) museums with operating budgets of $1 million or less SB 996 and HB2161 which are mirrored bills providing a clear path to ownership of abandoned property - the absence of this law causes a nightmare for museums to enact collections management best practice because of the lack of clear title for abandoned property (thus preventing disposal, loans or accessioning). Despite the frigid temperatures we all received a very warm welcome!
