Oklahoma’s top education official, Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters, is pushing for the purchase of 55,000 Bibles for public schools in the state. The requirement is that each Bible must contain the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, which are not standard inclusions in most Bibles but are featured in one endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
This move is part of Walters’ ongoing efforts to introduce Bibles into every classroom, a policy that has faced opposition from some of Oklahoma’s largest school districts. The plan is to allocate $3 million in state funds for Bibles that meet specific criteria, including the inclusion of U.S. historical materials within the pages. The bidding documents indicate that the Bibles must be bound in leather or leather-like material for durability.
The specifications closely align with the “God Bless the USA Bible,” a version promoted by Trump earlier this year, which is available for purchase at $59.99 on a website he supports. Despite associations with Trump, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Department of Education insisted that the bidding process is open to all vendors and anticipates strong competition.
Critics, including former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, a Democrat, have raised concerns about the bidding process. Edmondson suggested that the bid seems to be tailored for the Trump-endorsed Bible and warned that a court might challenge the process for limiting competition.
In June, Walters mandated that public schools integrate the Bible into lessons for students in grades 5 through 12. The bidding requirements also specify the inclusion of both the Old Testament and New Testament, along with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Bill of Rights. Colleen McCarty, the executive director of Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, noted that very few Bibles on the market meet these extensive criteria, with all of them having received Trump’s endorsement.
The Bible, which bears the name inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic song, is a product that states it is not politically affiliated and has no association with any specific political campaign. It clarifies that it utilises Trump’s name, likeness, and image under a paid license from CIC Ventures LLC.
Financial disclosures revealed that Trump made $300,000 in sales from the Bible. Walters, a former public school teacher who assumed office in 2022, campaigned on a promise to combat what he terms “woke ideology,” remove certain books from school libraries, and eliminate what he perceives as leftist influence in classrooms.