100 Ideas Initiative Raises $487,000

Saturday, June 2nd 2007, 2:05 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Donations from Chesapeake Energy and the Chickasaw Nation have been a big part of nearly a half million dollars in funds raised by House Speaker Lance Cargill's 100 Ideas Initiative.

Chesapeake and the Choctaw tribe each donated $100,000 to the think tank launched by Cargill in January. It's modeled after a Florida program that gives average citizens a voice in developing public policy.

AT&T and Wal-Mart Stores are among the other donors who've contributed a total of $487,000.

The initiative also benefited from donations of advertising from Cox Communications, Lamar billboards and the Tulsa World newspaper.

An advisory committee will choose the public's top 100 ideas later this year and print them in a book that will be distributed to lawmakers at the beginning of the next legislative session.