TRANSCRIPT
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Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider - taking you inside politics, policy, and government in Oklahoma. I'm Dick Pryor with Quorum Call publisher, Shawn Ashley. Our guest is Trait Thompson, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Historical Society. Trait, it's good to have you with us.
Trait Thompson: Dick, it's great to be with you guys.
Dick Pryor: Trait, how did the Historical Society fare in the state budget for fiscal year 2026?
Trait Thompson: Overall, I was pretty pleased with how the budget went for us. Our request was actually a flat budget this year because last year, we actually got almost $2 million added to our base budget. Some of that was for cost increases that we've seen over the last few years due to utilities, information technology and things of that nature. But we got a million dollars added into our base to be able to do some much-needed salary adjustments at the agency. So, I felt like, given the writing on the wall, that probably the best we could hope for was a flat budget.
Now, I did ask for a one-time appropriation of $2.8 million because the Oklahoma History Center building right across the street from the Capitol is twenty years old this year. And our HVAC system is certainly showing that wear. So, we asked for money for a complete replacement of our boilers, our chillers, and a cooling tower so that we can ensure the climate control in that building for years to come. And I'm happy to report that the legislature granted that request.
Shawn Ashley: Trait, the State Historic Preservation Office, which is the division of the Oklahoma History Center, is facing a funding dilemma. The office has been expecting federal funding since October, but still hasn't received that money. What does that office do?
Trait Thompson: Well, it's one of the most interesting parts of the Oklahoma Historical Society because it is the only part of our agency that is federally funded. We receive about 60% of the funding from the federal government through the National Park Service and 40% is state appropriated. This goes back all the way to the 1960s and the 1970s with the establishment of the National Preservation Act and the Historic Preservation Fund. During that time, we had seen a lot of our historic sites and our historic buildings that were going away because of urban renewal and just because we hadn't valued those over the years. And so, the federal government made a deal with the states and wanted to partner with the states to save our important historic resources.
So, ever since the 1970s, the Historic Preservation Fund has provided the money to do a few key things. One of those is to administer the National Register of Historic Places program in Oklahoma. The other is what's called Section 106, which is basically any federal project in Oklahoma that is going to be spending federal dollars. We have to evaluate to make sure it's not having an adverse effect on any historic resources. And if it is, we have to propose a mitigation for that. And then finally, we administer the historic tax credits program, so eligible projects can apply for up to 20% in federal tax credits and state tax credits for the preservation and restoration of historic buildings and sites throughout the state. And that's been a wildly successful program that has helped to preserve important historic resources, not only in urban areas, but in rural areas throughout Oklahoma.
Dick Pryor: So that office has not received its federal funding. What will be the impact if the funding is not forthcoming?
Trait Thompson: Well, you know, because the federal government is what it is. It's a little bit late, usually in several months into the new fiscal year before we get any of the current fiscal year funding. But this year we haven't received any of the current year funding and that's that amounts to about one point two million dollars and we're just a few months away from the start of the new fiscal year and so what we're looking at right now is by September the first we will have to lay off a significant number of our state historic preservation office staff. And that's unfortunate because that is really going to affect the work that we're able to do in the historic preservation space and a big question mark for us right now is how are we going to continue to do the work because the laws that govern the historic preservation office aren't going to go away but our funding is and so we have questions right now to the National Park Service and actually I have a meeting with the attorney general's office on Monday because we're trying to sort through these things. It's a difficult time right now in the historic preservation space.
Shawn Ashley: What, if anything, are you hearing from the federal government about this delay?
Trait Thompson: Really almost nothing. It's been a little bit disheartening. This money comes through the National Park Service and we're all aware of the massive cuts that the National Parks Service has gone through. Right now, the notice of funding opportunity, which is called the NOFO, has not been approved by the Office of Management and Budget. And what we were hearing a few weeks ago was as soon as the president released his proposed budget for the next fiscal year, then they would get these NOFOs going and we would get our funding. But now that the president has released his budget and he actually proposed completely eliminating the historic preservation fund and the money that comes to SHPOs and TPOs all over the United States, we really haven't heard anything about whether we're going to get that funding or not. And we've been interacting with our congressional staff here in Oklahoma, and we really have been able to get much in terms of answers through them either.
Dick Pryor: Trait, I want to ask you about what's coming up at the Oklahoma History Center. This is a time, summer is, when a lot of people get out, including students, to visit museums. So, what's going on?
Trait Thompson: We have a lot of great activities coming up. On Thursday, June the 19th, we've got a great program at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City for Juneteenth. We're going to have Bass Reeves reenactors and Art Burton, who is a celebrated African American author and has written books on Bass Reeves. He is going to be our special keynote guest and that's going to start at 5.30 at the History Center. And then something that I'm particularly always excited about and I'll have the honor of speaking at this event. Every year, we commemorate the Battle of Honey Springs, which was the largest Civil War battle in Indian Territory at the Battle Honey Springs site and visitor center, and that'll take place on July the 19th at 10:30 a.m. And we would love for people to come out and visit us for all of those events. And you can go okhistory.org and look at our calendar on our website. And we have these and many, many other opportunities to get out and not only enjoy yourselves but learn a little something along the way.
Dick Pryor: Trait Thompson, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, thank you And that's Capitol Insider. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
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