posted 01-17-2023 06:18 PM               

"We just closed out our 2022 fiscal year and we came in about $300,000 shortfall," said Executive Director Tonya Blansett.

Blansett said the museum has cut as many expenses as possible.

"We don't have any maintenance staff," she said. "We have a contract staff that comes in and cleans the toilets in the mornings and we do all the rest of the cleaning ourselves."

They can't even afford to get a contract for pest treatment, according to Blansett. ...

State Rep. John Waldron (D - District 77) is proposing a bill he hopes will preserve the Tulsa jewel.

"We got to keep that museum and its presence in our community," said Waldron.

The proposed bill would exempt the museum from paying state sales tax on purchases, which he says would allow them to buy exhibits.

"This measure at a very small cost to the state would be a big boost for that important institution," he explained.

Blansett said the bill is not a fix-all, but it would help save the museum around $25,000 a year.