Payne Co. Sheriff Audit
A Payne County Sheriff’s Office administrative assistant is accused of misappropriating $137,000, The investigative audit found the misused money spent personal expenses.
Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd says taxpayer money was used for expenses like vinyl flooring, car repairs and a farmhouse kitchen sink between 2010 and 2022 by the administrative assistant.
Byrd says Linda Farley is responsible for misappropriating $82,000 through use of a sheriff’s office credit card and turning in altered or fabricated payment invoices. The remaining amount was spent on questioned costs.
The Payne County Sheriff’s Office found the errors in 2021 and the county’s board of commissioners requested the audit.
The final report has been given to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the District Attorney’s office. It will ultimately be up to them to prosecute.
State Lawmakers Want Review Of School Lunch Program
One topic that's likely to come up during the legislative session is school lunches.
Oklahoma lawmakers, particularly in the Republican majority, are debating the expansion of school meal programs.
Lawmakers are expressing interest in increasing the state's investment in providing free meals in schools after Gov.Kevin Stitt turned down federal funds for a summer food assistance program for children earlier this year.
Sen. Jessica Garvin has proposed up to three bills focusing on raising the household income threshold for a student to qualify for free meals.
One bill in particular, Senate Bill 1473, is a farm-to-school program that would offer grants to local farmers and producers to grow fresh products for school districts.
Bill To Place Monitoring Requirements, Financial Obligations On Journalists, Media Outlets
The Oklahoma legislature will consider a bill that would place monitoring requirements and financial obligations on journalists and media outlets.
Senate Bill 1837, the Common Sense Freedom of Press Control Act, authored by Republican Nathan Dahm of Broken Arrow, seeks to “avoid potential abuse of the freedom of the press” by requiring journalists and other media employees to submit to criminal background checks and quarterly drug tests.
It would also require journalists to file for a license from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, obtain $1 million in liability insurance, and attend an eight-hour QUOTE “propaganda-free” training developed by PragerU.
The license for individual journalists would cost $290 every five years. Media outlets would also need to pay a quarter-million dollars for a license every year.
The Oklahoma legislature will have an opportunity to consider the bill when its session begins next month.
Investigation: Superintendent Ryan Walters' Travel Expenses
State Superintendent Ryan Walters is coming under fire after an investigation by The Frontier revealed questionable out-of-state travel expenses footed by taxpayers.
According to the nonprofit news outlet, Walters filed more than $4,000 in claims for out-of-state travel expenses over his first year in office. This comes despite a 2019 executive order from Gov. Kevin Stitt that put a moratorium on all non-essential, state-funded, out-of-state travel. A spokesperson for the governor’s office says Walters did not get permission from Stitt for those trips.
So what did Walters spend the money on? According to reimbursement forms, he expensed the state for trips to attend the premiere of an anti-abortion horror film, speak at a conservative think tank conference, a Moms for Liberty summit and a Freedom Foundation education summit. He also went to D.C. for “policy meetings,” according to state documents, and though his itinerary shows two meetings with think tanks, most of the trip was devoted to conservative media appearances.
Travel requests require a manager’s signature, but since Walters heads the education department, he signed off on his own expenses.
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