OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — State lawmakers in both parties say they’re frustrated by the recent actions of State Superintendent Ryan Walters.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) spent nearly $25,000 in taxpayer money to buy 500 specific high-priced Bibles for Oklahoma classrooms.
The Bibles purchased are the ones that President-elect Donald Trump endorses.
Republicans and Democrats at the State Capitol shot down Walters’ original request for $6 million to purchase 55,000 Bibles.
FOX23 spoke with State Reps. Melissa Provenzano (D) of Tulsa, Andy Fugate (D) of Del City, and Daniel Pae (R) of Lawton.
They’re calling the latest purchase nothing more than political theater for his next job or to get the attention of the incoming president.
“Honestly, I think the tone is just exhaustion, like enough already, it seems more like an attempt to get the attention of the incoming president,” Provenzano said.
“I wish we were focused on real issues on education and not trying to campaign on the next office down the road,” Pae said.
Had Walters’ purchase been over $25,000, it would have required a signature from the state secretary of education and a bidding process.
State representatives from both parties said that was on purpose.
“It’s a mechanism to get around the reality that Ryan Walters would not have been able to order those Bibles if he had gone through the regular channel,” Fugate said.
State Rep. Pae said Walters’ initiative is a violation of separation of church and state.
“My main issue when it comes to this initiative of purchasing Bibles is it violates the separation of church and state, and it sets the precedent that we are opening Pandora’s box,” he said.
Walters said he is fully committed to his job as State Superintendent and working with schools and their families.
The State Supreme Court ruled last spring that every school district has the authority to choose what is used in its curriculum to meet state education standards.
That means schools are not required to use the Bibles bought by Walters.
There’s no word on when Oklahoma schools will receive the Bibles.