Category Archives: State

Turnpike Authority Audit Released

By David Arnett

Wednesday, March 4, Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd released the findings of her extensive audit of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) requested by Oklahoma Attorney General Genter Drummond. The audit, in PDF format, is posted with this story.

After the release, AG Drummond issued the following statement, “While the audit did not uncover criminal misconduct, the findings should not be mistaken for an agency’s clean bill of health. The audit made clear the need for increased oversight, accountability and transparency at the OTA. A court finding that an agency willfully violated the Open Meetings Act is not a case of bureaucratic red tape. It is a signal that an agency believes it can operate beyond the scrutiny of the public it serves. I urge the OTA’s leadership to take the audit’s findings seriously and use this as an opportunity for meaningful reform. My office will continue to monitor the OTA’s operations and will not hesitate to act should future conduct warrant further review.”

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WalletHub: OK 2nd Worst State?

By David Arnett

It is aggravating to read how some statisticians judge America. They remind that daily life includes lies, damn lies, and statistics. WalletHub is most zealously active in establishing statistical sets which make news. The validity of their judging criteria, however, is frequently challenged. Today’s example highlights Women and proclaims Oklahoma is the “2nd Worst State for Women in 2026.”

To identify the most women-friendly states, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key metrics. The data set ranges from median earnings for female workers to women’s health care to the female homicide rate. Our reading suggests, they are not valuing women who choose to be mothers as equal to feminists. Could that be bigotry?

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Apps Must Put Parents First

By Monica Collison, Executive Director, ORA

Opinion: It is critically important to declare support of the federal App Store Accountability Act. At its core, this legislation is not about restricting innovation or limiting opportunity. It is about reinforcing a simple, foundational principle: parents, not tech companies and not the government, should have the primary authority to decide what their children can access online.

In rural Oklahoma, families often rely heavily on smartphones and tablets as their primary digital access point. For many households, especially those without multiple devices or robust parental control tools, app stores serve as the front door to the internet. Yet currently, children can download apps, create accounts, and access social media platforms with minimal age verification and little meaningful parental involvement. That model does not reflect Oklahoma’s family-first values.

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Foreign Land Purchase Consequences

By Staff Report

Rep. Jim Shaw, R-Chandler, secured committee passage of a bill yesterday that would add criminal penalties to Oklahoma’s existing prohibitions on hostile foreign ownership of land.

While state law already restricts certain foreign ownership of property, Shaw said current statutes lack meaningful criminal enforcement mechanisms. House Bill 1453 would close that gap by making violations a felony offense.

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Interview: Jon Echols OK AG Candidate

By David Arnett

Jon Echols is a fifth-generation Oklahoman with roots back to the Land Run. He is a serial entrepreneur who received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma and his law degree from Oklahoma City University.

“I am the only candidate in the Republican primary that’s ever been in an Oklahoma courtroom. I’ve tried numerous cases on the criminal defense side, and some family law but what separates me: I am the only one in this race that has ever started a business with their own money at their own risk out of the Republican and Democrat field, Echols said.

Jon Echols speaking in Tulsa March 2025
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