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A state travel law providing the governor and lieutenant governor free travel during campaign years should be changed.
As the Associated Press reported last week, state taxpayers bear the cost for Lt. Governor Jari Askins, democratic candidate for governor, during her travels around Oklahoma. By virtue of her position, Askins is transported by the Department of Public Safety. The governor is afforded the same privilege under state law.
And Askins’ use of public funds raises valid questions during election campaigns.
Under state law, the Department of Public Safety must provide transportation, security and communications equipment for the governor and lieutenant governor even if the office holders are going to strictly personal or political events.
We would like to see the cost to the taxpayers.
We are not suggesting that Askins has done anything wrong. She has been allowed such travel by state law.
However, as the law reads now, it creates an unlevel playing field. The rest of those running for the Democratic Party’s governor position must pay for the same type of travel out of campaign funds or through personal funds.
It is not a good idea to leave the state’s No. 2 executive without protection or without the ability to communicate with state agencies.
So we recommend the law be changed to pay for the security and communications part of travel for the governor and lieutenant governor during campaign trips, but not for the cost of transporting the governor or lieutenant governor.
They should be required to reimburse the state for their travel with campaign funds. This would keep things even with their challengers.
Some might argue it would be hard to tell a campaign trip from normal state business. But if a candidate has never been to say Wagoner County and shows up during the Porter Peach Festival, we say it’s not state business. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it’s a duck. But maybe not so in politics.
