Time Is Running Out On Bill To Change Dam Authority

Jennifer Lauren, Oklahoma Impact Team

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman authored legislation Tuesday that would allow the Governor, the speaker of the house and the senate pro tem to re-seat five of the Grand River Dam Authority's board's seven members at will, opening the door for sweeping change.

Bingman's press secretary said, "We want to clean up GRDA and make it accountable to ratepayers as opposed to the bad practices of the past."

Bad practices of the past, he says, refer to the paper trail I uncovered in February, showing how the board gave then Chief Executive Officer Kevin Easley a back-door $90,000 raise.

Easley has since resigned, but Bingman's plan to clean house at the GRDA may be dead before it ever gets off the ground.

Speaker of the House Kris Steele says he's still waiting on results from a GRDA performance audit requested by Governor Fallin.

Steele's press secretary said, "Because of the ongoing audit into GRDA, Speaker Steele and other House members have concerns about whether this is the right time to reorganize GRDA. The Speaker is not opposed to the idea. He just wants to approach it at the appropriate time."

There are two legislative days left for Senate Bill 335 to be heard and voted on this session.