Oklahoma City, Oklah. — A new investigative audit of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is fueling renewed calls at the state Capitol for lawmakers to rein in an agency the state auditor says has operated “unrestrained and unchecked” for nearly 80 years.

The state auditor and inspector said the problems highlighted in the audit can only be solved by amending legislation.

Among the issues cited: “handpicked contractors naming their own prices,” according to the report’s findings.

The reaction is also coming from Pike Off OTA President Amy Cerato, who said she is filing two lawsuits against the OTA over the Southern Extension project, which she said would level more than 70 homes. “The Legislature has no excuse not to bring this up in session,” Cerato said.

Cerato said the larger issue is a lack of accountability in state law. “My problem is that we don’t have a state law to hold anybody accountable so they could say too bad too sad and keep going on for the next 70 years,” she said.

The state auditor said it is up to the Legislature to make changes.

State Sen. Mary Boren, a Democrat representing District 16, said she is willing to “continue to empower Oklahomans to hold their government accountable.”

Boren also warned about the potential cost to drivers if the agency remains unchecked. “The way it could be going, people could be paying $200 bucks a month to get to work on a toll road,” Boren said.

State Sen. Shane Jett, a Republican representing District 17, said the audit reflects a broader issue in state government. “There is a rampant problem of state agencies that have more sway and more influence on the legislative process than the taxpayers who are footing the bill,” Jett said.

Boren and Jett both voted yes on a bill authored by Lisa Standridge that would eliminate the transfer of property to a state agency taken by eminent domain.

Still, the lawmakers said change will not begin until some candidates serving on committees are voted out.

Jett urged people to run for office, pointing to upcoming filing dates. “If you are sick and tired of people representing state agencies or industries instead of taxpayers, well the filing deadline is April 1, 2, and 3. Run for office,” Jett said.

Boren echoed concerns about whose interests are being represented. “We have people that are there to stick up for Oklahomans, and we have people that are there to stick up for the people making a lot of money off of Oklahomans,” she said.

The state auditor said the audit took so long because of a backlog of investigative audits with 25% fewer employees.

The audit covers the last four years out of the last 79.

The OTA released a statement after the audit findings were revealed Wednesday.

“The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority would like to thank the State Auditor and Inspector’s office for their in-depth, extensive work on this first-of-its-kind investigative audit of the Authority. During the past three years, the auditor’s office has been inquisitive and intentional, learning as much about the OTA as possible to allow them to complete this investigative audit. While OTA has an annual financial audit conducted by an independent, nationally recognized firm, we were glad to collaborate with the State Auditor’s office for its examination of whether OTA complies with state law. OTA is pleased to have this independent confirmation that the agency follows all state statutes and there is no evidence of non-compliance with Oklahoma law. OTA will review the audit in more detail, and it is committed to considering how and where we can strengthen our policies and improve the documentation of our procedures and internal controls.”

ADDRESSING ENGINEERING CONTRACT SELECTION

“Even with the breadth and scale of construction programs like ACCESS Oklahoma, which is the largest reinvestment and expansion project in OTA’s history, we have been deliberate about keeping OTA staffing levels relatively flat. Instead, the Authority uses professional services contracts to procure engineering and construction management services through one of two lawful solicitation methods as allowed by Oklahoma Title 69-1708.2. OTA may use a project-specific solicitation focused on that individual project. OTA also may use an on-demand solicitation for specific types of professional services. This lawful and intentional administrative choice helps OTA keep construction costs at a minimum, manage changing project details, staffing capacity, and timing while still relying on a competitive, qualifications-based selection process. The method selected depends on project maturity, scope, and operational efficiency. It’s important to note that these contractors are selected by an internal review committee. This committee does not include the executive director, which was mistakenly stated Wednesday and incorrectly reflected in the audit report. As a matter of policy, that does not happen. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all work approved by OTA staff has been completed on time and on budget and to the highest standards of safety. We remain focused and committed on safely operating and maintaining Oklahoma’s turnpike system while responsibly managing infrastructure investments.”

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TULSA, OKLA. (KTUL) — A Tulsa-based nonprofit is adding an immersive, walkthrough experience to its annual fundraising gala, aiming to give attendees a closer look at what survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking face — and how support services can help.

The Spring, which provides services to people impacted by domestic violence and human trafficking, will feature the walkthrough as part of Encounter Hope, its annual gala set for April 9 at the Arvest Convention Center.

The experience is designed to guide guests through the story of an abuse survivor across four stages of interaction with The Spring: the inciting incident, the crisis call, time at the emergency crisis shelter, and moving into safety.

“The idea is really to put you in the shoes of the people that we serve every day,” Allison Wells,

The Spring’s events and environments coordinator, said. “It’s easy to throw out stats about violence and trafficking in Oklahoma, throw out our service numbers each year, but these are really peoples’ lives. We want to put our attendees in the mindset of one person, one story. What would you do if you were facing this?”

After the walkthrough, attendees will have the opportunity to assemble move-in kits for The Spring’s shelter guests and write personal notes of encouragement.

The program portion of the evening will include a panel discussion hosted by Karen Larsen, an Emmy Award-winning journalist who anchored Tulsa’s Channel 2 for almost 30 years.

“Tulsa is an incredibly charitable city, and we know that these kinds of gala events aren’t rare here,” Leslie Clingenpeel, The Spring’s CEO, said. “Our goal is to go beyond the model of these fundraising-only type events. More than anything, we want people to understand what we do, to know that we’re here, to know what our frontline advocates are doing every single day. Domestic violence and trafficking are hard to look away from once you’re aware of them. We want to build that awareness to the people of this city.”

Individual tickets and table packages are available for purchase.

Attendees are encouraged to register before April 1 because space is limited.

More details and purchasing information are available at www.thespringok.org/encounterhope.

The Spring is a Tulsa-based nonprofit offering services to those affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking.

The organization provides emergency crisis shelter, transitional living, and non-residential services.

More information is available at www.thespringok.org.