Monday, March 15 @ 8:00 am on OETA OKLA

Secret Agencies

Having a bad hair day? The State of Oklahoma might be able to help, if you feel a stylist's incompetence caused your crummy coif. If you've visited a pawnbroker, joined a health spa on credit, or rented-to-own, then you've done business with just three of the establishments regulated by the State Commission on Consumer Credit. Oklahoma has a commission in place that deals with teachers, but is not part of the Department of Education. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation's mission includes assurance that your children have competent, caring, qualified classroom teachers. These are just a few examples of lesser-known, small-staffed state agencies and offices where you find your tax dollars at work. Some in public policy might think Oklahoma government is too big, or that there are too many agencies. Others feel agency consolidation is not the way to save tax money, but consolidating administration might be the answer. The February edition of the award-winning documentary series " Stateline" follows your money behind the doors where consumer protection and regulation rule, and where a few do the work for the many. Scores of legislatively mandated offices. But, who are those guys?