The chairman of a state legislative committee said he is extending the time to be spent on an interim study of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association.
Rep. Gus Blackwell, R-Laverne, scheduled a 1 p.m. Wednesday media conference at the Oklahoma State Capitol to discuss the details.
Blackwell plans an all-day session on Sept. 17, and subsequent half-day sessions on Sept. 24 and Oct. 3 before the Oklahoma House of Representatives' Administrative Rules Committee, which he chairs.
"Usually an interim study has one or two days, but we had a lot more people wanting to talk and give input, so I thought it was best to extend it," he said.
The study into the state's governing body of high school athletics and activities was requested by Rep. Bobby Cleveland, R-Slaughterville.
Cleveland, who represents the area south of Norman, wants to focus on a potential lack of transparency by the OSSAA and how its appeals process works.
"Pretty much every (legislator) has heard a complaint at one time or another from people who feel like they didn't get a fair shake," Cleveland said.
Blackwell said the study is to determine "how (the OSSAA) operates, its stewardship of school money and the best way to establish some oversight."
OSSAA executive director Ed Sheakley said oversight comes "by way of our 481 member schools who write the rules and constitution of the OSSAA. On top of that, we have a 14-member elected board that oversees management."
Blackwell compared the OSSAA to a "corporation (with) stockholders. Although, in theory, it answers to its members, you sort of do what you want, and there's no real accountability, in my opinion."
Cleveland is weeding through a "long list" of people who have requested speaking slots, and OSSAA representation will be invited for each public session, Blackwell said.
Although the committee has no direct power to make law, Blackwell said information received in the study could be used in writing bills for the next legislative session starting in February.
"This is the phase where we do our homework and extensively study a topic," Blackwell said.
OSSAA
Mike Brown 918-581-8390
mike.brown@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: State looking into OSSAA
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