Oversight Problems in Lincoln County

By David Arnett

“The taxpayers of Lincoln County, whose lives depend on 911 services, deserve better than this.”

Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector [SA&I] Cindy Byrd yesterday released her forensic audit of the Lincoln County E-911 Trust Authority. The District Attorney requested the audit after citizens expressed concerns about potential improper payments to the Authority Director.

The audit period covered July 1, 2019 through September 14, 2023.

“Lincoln County’s E-911 Trust Authority created an environment that allowed abuse to flourish,” Auditor Cindy Byrd said. “The Board members were not conducting regular reviews of bank statements and payroll records. They did not require expenditures to be reported to the Board prior to payment. If Board members had followed rudimentary oversight practices, they could have stopped the abuse the moment it started.”

Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector [SA&I] Cindy Byrd
Continue reading →

OKGOP Demands Voter Integrity

By Charity Linch, Chairman, OKGOP

OKLAHOMA CITY – On February 2nd, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations uncovered a nationwide counterfeit document scheme. Two Mexican nationals produced and sold fake IDs from their residence in Tulsa, Oklahoma from August 2020 until February 2025. This operation manufactured and sold thousands of fraudulent immigration documents—including counterfeit Social Security cards, lawful permanent resident cards (green cards), state driver’s licenses, and foreign passports—distributed across the United States at prices ranging from $120 to $150 each. Evidence recovered by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas included client ledgers and electronic devices confirming widespread distribution, directly assaulting the integrity of American systems.

Continue reading →

Support Local Small Businesses

By Melanie Nelson

For Tulsa community members, busy parents, shift workers, retirees, and new neighbors, supporting local small businesses is no longer a feel-good extra; it’s community-driven commerce that keeps paychecks circulating and streets active. The tension is simple: neighborhood entrepreneurs face rising costs, thinner staffing, and unpredictable demand, so random “shop local” intentions can miss the mark. When local support is steady and targeted, the local small business impact shows up in everyday life: more stable jobs, stronger nearby services, and a safer-feeling city block. This is about protecting Tulsa’s economic benefits of local support before more storefronts go dark.

Continue reading →

CCDBG: Proven Program Worth Protecting

By Jessica Garvin

Opinion: As a mother, my children will always be my top priority. Like parents across this country, I want them to grow up safe, healthy, and have all the tools to succeed. But years as both a parent and a business owner solidified one thing for me: good intentions alone don’t get families across the finish line. Raising children takes more than love, it takes real, practical support that helps parents work, provide, and plan for the future.

For more than three decades, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) has helped families meet that need. Signed into law by Republican President George H.W. Bush in 1990, CCDBG has helped make safe, reliable child care more affordable, giving parents peace of mind as they work to earn a living and provide for their loved ones.

Continue reading →