The one week old "100 Ideas Initiative" has reached a milestone in its efforts to have lawmakers more engaged with their constituents. The organization, founded by House Speaker Lance Cargill and headed by former Representative Thad Balkman, has logged over 100 ideas from Oklahomans on its website. The site, 100ideasok.org was launched as part of a statewide initiative to "find the best 100 ideas for Oklahoma’s second century." "The 100 Ideas Initiative has picked up real momentum over the past week, and I've been pleased with the level of participation so far," said Cargill, who officially unveiled the project on Jan. 10. "This first milestone shows that Oklahomans are excited about sharing their good ideas for our state's future." Former Rep. Thad Balkman, executive director of the initiative, said he was excited to have reached the first milestone. “This is just the beginning of the 100 Ideas Initiative,” said Balkman. “We look forward to receiving the next 100 ideas and the next 1,000.” Balkman said the ideas, submitted primarily through the website came flowing in through e-mail, mail, and through online submissions. Submitted ideas ranged from eliminating the state sales tax on groceries to creating incentives for biofuels and biofuel research. In addition to accepting submissions via mail, e-mail and online, the project will host “IdeaRaisers” across the state which will invite the public to attend, share and discuss varying ideas. Balkman said an announcement detailing the specifics of the first two IdeaRaisers, scheduled to be held in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, will be released later in the week. Posted at 1/18/2007 10:54:00 AM