House Democrats target Walters for investigation

Written By: John Dobberstein

(Oklahoma City, Okla.) Several Oklahoma House Democrats have filed a resolution calling for a bipartisan committee to investigate Oklahoma State Supt. of Public Instruction Ryan Walters over his department’s spending of federal funds. 

Read the story on Broken Arrow Sentinel here.

In filing House Resolution 1052, the lawmakers said they’ve asked Speaker of the House Charles McCall and Republican lawmakers to hold Walters “accountable” for the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s handling of federal tax dollars. 

House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, (D-Oklahoma City) said Democrat lawmakers last August called for a special bipartisan House committee to investigate whether sufficient grounds existed for the House to  impeach Ryan Walters. 

They renewed that call last December, she said, and last March House Democrats renewed their call again after the U.S. Department of Education announced its investigation into “possible misuse and abuse of federal tax dollars,” Munson said.

Last week, according to Munson, House Democrats sent a letter to Attorney General Gentner Drummond requesting an investigative audit of OSDE’s spending. 

“Over the last four months, Republicans – who hold power in both legislative chambers and the governor’s mansion – have done nothing to listen to and address the concerns of Oklahomans who want to protect our public schools. It is now past time to act,” Munson said Wednesday.

Rep. John Waldron (D-Tulsa), a former educator, believes this call is long overdue.

“I am pleased to see that new accountability language has been written into this year’s education bills,” Waldron said. “But if we are sincere about accountability, it’s time to send in the accountants.”

Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa) a former schoolteacher and administrator, says Walters’ leadership has concerned teachers and students. 

“Our teachers and students deserve to feel safe and that they are in good hands. It scares me to think of the repercussions that have come and will come under the current State Superintendent,” Provenzano said. 

“We have seen bomb threats to Oklahoma schools, the death of an Oklahoma student due in part to harmful rhetoric facilitated by our State Superintendent, and now, we see the alleged mismanagement of federal funds that could go toward providing resources for Oklahoma schools. We can work together across the aisle to find a solution that will ultimately benefit Oklahomans, and that is what this committee aims to do.”

As part of a bill to set aside education funding, Fox 25 in Oklahoma City reported the Oklahoma House and Senate Joint Committees on Appropriations and Budget unanimously passed a ban on OSDE spending money on certain public relations efforts.

FOX 25 reported that tax dollars going to various out-of-state firms for services like video production and landing the state superintendent interviews. 

For example, $30,000 went to northern Virginia-based Vought Strategies, a press and media communications firm. 

Over $70,000 has gone to Texas-based Precision Outreach to make videos on topics ranging from teachers’ unions to bathroom safety concerns involving trans-identifying students.

A spokesman for OSDE, Dan Isett, fired back in response to the resolution, saying Democrats are, “hellbent on creating an educational environment that is not aligned with Oklahoma values or Oklahoma voters.

“They have relentlessly sought to use our schools to promote woke indoctrination, fought against accountability and improvement in failing schools, defended sexual deviancy in the classroom, and peddled porn in school libraries,” Isett said. “Superintendent Walters will not be bowed by the radical left and neither will the people of Oklahoma.”