OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s prime schooling official is in search of to buy 55,000 Bibles for public faculties and specifying that every copy include the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, which aren’t generally present in Bibles however are included in a single 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 college 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 “sure in leather-based or leather-like materials for sturdiness,” 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 yr at an internet site that sells the e book for $59.99.
Asked 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 lots of of Bible publishers and we count on a strong competitors for this proposal,” mentioned Dan Isett, a spokesman for the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, a Democrat, mentioned the bid “doesn’t go the odor take a look at” and mentioned a courtroom may void it if the method was discovered to restrict competitors.
“All fingers level to the Trump Bible that does include all these necessities,” Edmondson mentioned.
Walters in June ordered public faculties to include the Bible into classes for grades 5 by 12. The bidding paperwork additionally specify that the Bibles embrace each the Old Testament and New Testament, the Pledge of Allegiance and the Bill of Rights.
“We can see there are only a few Bibles available on the market that might meet these standards, and all of them have been endorsed by former President Donald Trump,” mentioned Colleen McCarty, govt director of Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law 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 “shouldn’t be political and has nothing to do with any political marketing campaign.” It says the location “makes use of Donald J. Trump’s title, likeness and picture below 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 college trainer who was elected to his publish in 2022, ran on a platform of combating “woke ideology,” banning books from college libraries and eliminating “radical leftists” who he claims are indoctrinating kids in lecture rooms.
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