More than 100 initiatives have been implemented since Gov. Brad Henry unveiled his Economic Development Generating Excellence (EDGE) plan two years ago, according to a recent report.
Highlights from the report include passage of House Bill 2661, tort reform, and Senate Bill 982, the Achieving Classroom Excellence Act, which creates public school standards that prepare students for college.
The report was compiled by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the governor's office and the State Department of Education.
"It's clear from this report that EDGE has produced a variety of accomplishments. However, the impact of EDGE isn't just this list of actions, it's the outlook and objectives of the state system colleges and universities," Chancellor Paul G. Risser said. "Our colleges and universities are focusing squarely on economic development as their responsibility to help the state move forward."
Since the EDGE project began, higher education officials have joined various collaborations with business and industry.
This month marks two years since Gov. Henry announced EDGE. The original EDGE plan was a compilation of goals established by industry experts, state leaders and public forums.
EDGE is an economic development plan that suggests solutions for Oklahoma's challenges and points leaders to new fields where Oklahoma's economy could grow. EDGE has four primary goals:
- Transform Oklahoma into the Research Capital of the Plains
- Dramatically update Oklahoma's public education system
- Reverse our state's health trends
- Immediately reform and improve our business climate
The EDGE progress report, along with the original EDGE plan, is available online at www.okedge.org.
Contact: Ben Hardcastle, director of communications, 1.405.225.9346