Oklahoma’s high training official is in search of to buy 55,000 Bibles for public colleges and specifying that every copy include the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Structure, which aren’t generally present in Bibles however are included in one endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
The request is a part of Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ ongoing efforts to require Bibles in each classroom, which has been met with resistance by a few of Oklahoma’s largest faculty districts.
Walters is in search of to spend $3 million in state funds for Bibles that match a sure standards, together with that the pages are supplemented with U.S. historic supplies. The Bibles should even be “bound in leather or leather-like material for durability,” based on state bidding paperwork posted this week.
The nonprofit information outlet Oklahoma Watch first reported Thursday that the necessities match the “God Bless the USA Bible” that Trump urged his supporters to start shopping for earlier this 12 months at an internet site that sells the ebook for $59.99.
Requested Friday if the state’s bid was tailor-made for the Bible backed by Trump, a spokesman for Walters mentioned the proposal was open to any vendor.
“There are hundreds of Bible publishers and we expect a robust competition for this proposal,” mentioned Dan Isett, a spokesman for the Oklahoma State Division of Training.
Former Oklahoma Lawyer Common Drew Edmondson, a Democrat, mentioned the bid “does not pass the smell test” and mentioned a courtroom may void it if the method was discovered to restrict competitors.
“All fingers point to the Trump Bible that does contain all these requirements,” Edmondson mentioned.
Walters in June ordered public colleges to include the Bible into classes for grades 5 via 12. The bidding paperwork additionally specify that the Bibles embody each the Previous Testomony and New Testomony, the Pledge of Allegiance and the Invoice of Rights.
“We can see there are very few Bibles on the market that would meet these criteria, and all of them have been endorsed by former President Donald Trump,” mentioned Colleen McCarty, govt director of Oklahoma Appleseed Middle for Legislation and Justice.
The title of the Bible backed by Trump is impressed by nation singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad. Trump takes the stage to the track at every of his rallies and has appeared with Greenwood at occasions.
The Bible’s web site states the product “is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign.” It says the location “uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC.”
Trump reported incomes $300,000 off gross sales of the Bible, based on monetary disclosures launched in August. His marketing campaign didn’t instantly return an e-mail in search of remark Friday night.
Walters, himself a former public faculty trainer who was elected to his submit in 2022, ran on a platform of preventing “woke ideology,” banning books from faculty libraries and eliminating “radical leftists” who he claims are indoctrinating youngsters in lecture rooms.
