State House committee approves $5 million for bombing memorial endowment

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A legislative committee agreed to a plan to provide $5-million for an endowment for the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. <br/><br/>The state House Appropriations and Budget

Monday, March 7th 2005, 10:50 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A legislative committee agreed to a plan to provide $5-million for an endowment for the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.

The state House Appropriations and Budget Committee approved the bill without opposition, sending it to the full House for action.

Kari Watkins, executive director of the memorial, says the state funding will be matched with $5-million in federal funds already secured for the project. A national fund-raising campaign is expected to bring in another $5-million. Watkins says about $4-million has already been promised.

The endowment will be invested and interest on the money will be used to pay for the continued operation of the memorial.

More than 425,000 people from around the world visit the site of the Oklahoma City bombing each year.