Oklahoma House Democrats are again demanding that Speaker Charles McCall form a bipartisan commission to investigate state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters.
It is the fourth time since last August that Democrats have called for an investigation into Walters, seeking what they say would be an accounting of public funds spent on education since the Republican took office in January 2023. The final call came on Wednesday, two days before the election. The legislature is legally required to adjourn its session. However, Democratic leader of the House Cyndi Munson said if a committee is formed, it could continue the investigation into Walters and the Oklahoma State Department of Education after the session ends.
Republicans hold supermajorities in both the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Senate, meaning they ultimately have the authority to form such an investigative committee.
“Now, in the final days of the regular session of the 59th Legislature, we are formalizing our request for a special, bipartisan House committee of inquiry by filing House Resolution 1052,” said Munson, D-Oklahoma City. “Over the past four months, Republicans – who hold power in both the 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.
A spokesperson for McCall did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but McCall has said several times in recent months that because Walters took office as a result of a statewide election, Oklahoma voters should be the ones to retain him. responsible. McCall has said it would be an extraordinary action for the Legislature to launch such an investigation.
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Dan Isett, a spokesman for Walters, issued a statement shortly after Democrats held a news conference at the Capitol about the resolution.
“Oklahoma Democrats are committed to creating an educational environment that is not aligned with Oklahoma values or Oklahoma voters,” Isett said. “They have ruthlessly tried to use our schools to promote woke indoctrination, fought against accountability and improvement in failing schools, defended sexual deviance in the classroom, and sold pornography in school libraries. Superintendent Walters will not be bowed to by the radical left, and neither will the people of Oklahoma.”
During the news conference, Democrats touched on several topics, including Walters’ efforts to tie school accreditation to high-stakes test results through the administrative rules process, the agency’s decision not to apply for certain federal grants and what Munson’s “possible misuse and abuse of federal taxpayer dollars.”
House Democrats have been pressuring McCall, R-Atoka, to investigate Walters since last Aug. 29, when they sent him a letter asking him to create a special bipartisan House committee to to investigate whether there were sufficient grounds to impeach Walters. That request was rejected. They asked again in mid-December.
After the current legislative session started, they asked questions again on March 27.
“The chaos that has arisen as a result of the state Superintendent’s leadership has long harmed and concerned Oklahomans,” said Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa. “Our teachers and students deserve to feel safe and to be in good hands. It scares me to think of the consequences that have come and will come under the current State Superintendent.
“We have seen bomb threats against Oklahoma schools, the death of an Oklahoma student due in part to damaging rhetoric facilitated by our state Superintendent, and now we are seeing the alleged mismanagement of federal funds that could be used to provide resources for schools in Oklahoma. can work together to find a solution that will ultimately benefit the people of Oklahoma, and that is what this committee aims to do.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Democrats call for House investigation into Ryan Walters
