OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma state lawmaker has asked the attorney general to weigh in on the legality of using legislatively-appropriated funding to place Bibles in public school classrooms.
While Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, wrote that he has “no problem” with Bibles in classrooms, he requested an opinion from Attorney General Gentner Drummond. He outlined four questions regarding how state funds could be used for the purchase of Bibles for Oklahoma classrooms.
The request comes after Oklahoma’s top education official, state Superintendent Ryan Walters, revealed last month that he’s allocated $3 million to purchase Bibles and requested another $3 million in state funds to purchase more as part of the State Department of Education’s $4.1 billion budget request for fiscal year 2026.
A spokesperson for the Education Department said the $3 million is coming from payroll savings.
McBride asked the Attorney General’s Office if the State Department of Education is allowed to move appropriated funds from one budget category of Senate Bill 1122 to another without legislative approval.
He asked for clarification on whether an executive order from Gov. Kevin Stitt in May 2023 meant the Secretary of Education must approve any expenditures by the Education Department totaling over $25,000.
McBride also asked Drummond’s office to determine whether the Attorney General’s Office had the ability to enforce SB 1122 and if the transfer of appropriated funds in this case is subject to a process outlined in state statute requiring the Office of Management and Enterprise Services approval.
In June, Walters ordered Oklahoma’s public schools to keep and teach the Bible in every classroom in the state. Walters issued more detailed guidelines for school districts in July, stating that the text would be used for historical context.
In a previous statement, he said the religious text will be used to “contextualize our nation, its culture, and its founding, every student in Oklahoma will be taught the Bible in its historical, cultural, and literary context.”
Walters’ order has been highly controversial, with opponents calling it unconstitutional. The planned purchase has drawn support from some conservative groups, including the newly formed Freedom Caucus.
Republished in partnership with Oklahoma Voice under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Oklahoma Voice is a part of States Newsroom which is a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook and Twitter.
Emma Murphy
Emma Murphy covers the statehouse for Oklahoma Voice. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia and covered Missouri's legislature for three years at the Columbia Missourian.
