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Committee approves move allowing Oklahoma Today to be published electronically
Summary
The committee approved a bill allowing the tourism department to publish Oklahoma Today electronically and cited an estimated annual printing savings of about $267,000; members asked whether print editions would remain available.
The committee voted to allow the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department to publish Oklahoma Today magazine in electronic form rather than being restricted by an older statute to print format.
Senator Guthrie, sponsor of Senate Bill 653, said the statute dates from the 1950s and currently restricts the agency to a print publication. Sterling Zirley, executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, told the committee the department could save about $267,000 in printing costs annually if it moved to a strictly digital edition. When asked whether a vote for the bill would eliminate the print edition, Zirley replied, "Yes, ma'am," indicating that full conversion to digital would end the print version.
Committee members probed whether savings stemmed from subscription shifts or elimination of print runs. The committee recorded 7 ayes and 2 nays and declared Senate Bill 653 passed out of committee.
