Alva Review-Courier -

Shortly after the 2021 legislative session ended in May, leaders of the Senate and House created the Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding, a bipartisan, bicameral panel tasked with vetting and making recommendations to the governor on the use of our state’s share of $3.19 billion in federal dollars to help address costs and needs resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, and help Oklahoma be better prepared to deal with future such events.

Under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the federal government is making nearly $1.9 billion in funding available to the state of Oklahoma, with an add...