Category Archives: State

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 →

Smart Home Open House

By Staff Report

Oklahoma Human Services, in collaboration with Soaring on Hope Pediatric Therapy, will debut a new Smart Home demonstration site from 1 – 4 p.m., Wednesday Feb. 11 at 4908 S. Sheridan Rd. in Tulsa. Tours will be available to the public and attendees will be introduced to emerging tools and technologies designed to support safety and independence for aging Oklahomans and those with disabilities. 

The Smart Home demonstration site includes a fully functional living room, bedroom and kitchen, all equipped with state-of-the art technology to demonstrate how Oklahomans in these demographic groups can benefit from resources tailored to their unique needs.  

Continue reading →

Teach to Protect from Fentanyl

By David Arnett

Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, is renewing a call for action on Rain’s Law, House Bill 1484, legislation that would require age-appropriate fentanyl abuse prevention and drug poisoning awareness education in Oklahoma schools. Approved by the full House and a Senate Committee, leadership in the Senate is apparently not interested in bringing it to a floor vote. How many must die to move the bill?

Continue reading →

Real Education Election Reform

By Jonathan Small, OCPA

Critics often note voter turnout in Oklahoma elections is lower than in most states, yet those critics seldom demand the reform that would do the most to boost election participation: moving more elections to the November ballot.

Oklahomans know when gubernatorial and presidential elections are scheduled, but many do not know when school-board elections occur. That’s by design. Holding school-board elections on obscure winter or spring dates guarantees low turnout and allows a very small group—typically, those directly employed by a school district—to have outsized sway.

Continue reading →