LOFT Democrats Respond to CARES Act Report

OKLAHOMA CITY — House Democrats on the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency Committee released the following statements after the presentation of LOFT’s evaluation of how Oklahoma spent federal CARES Act funds.

“After reviewing close to 200 pages of reports and documents and hearing from both the state’s CARES FORWARD team and LOFT, it is clear there are definite areas of improvement needed regarding the decision matrix for some expenditures,” said State Rep. Meloyde Blancett, D-Tulsa. “There is also a need for a greater thoroughness of the back-end documentation to ensure we do not find ourselves with the federal government wanting to claw back money from Oklahoma because we didn’t have everything in order. I believe both the CARES FORWARD team and LOFT, as a result of this review, will continue working together and I am hopeful they will address the concerns that were raised.”

“The report highlighted a positive relationship between controlling the spread of the pandemic and the health of the economy,” said State Rep. Cyndi Munson, D-OKC. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, legislative Democrats have been vocal about a statewide mask policy, sheltering in place, and keeping only essential businesses open. Now, with data showing a loss in lives and revenue, it is confirmed we didn’t do what was right for Oklahomans or our economy. I am saddened to know we could have done so much more for our neighbors — both for their health and economically — and many of them would still be with us today.”