By Charity Linch – Republican National Committeewoman of Oklahoma
In the last week, a concerning piece of legislation has landed on the desk of Governor Stitt, threatening to undermine the very principles of transparency and accountability that form the foundation of our Republic. SB1122, if signed into law, would restrict the Superintendent and the State Department of Education from utilizing state funds for what Democrats in the Legislature deem as “public relations” and “promotional” purposes.
This bill is not about responsible financial stewardship, as its authors claim. Instead, it is a thinly veiled attempt to settle a politicized and personal vendetta against Superintendent Walters. The teachers’ unions and their allies pushed through this controversial legislation on the last day of the legislative session with the hope of getting it done before Oklahomans could rally against it. Their efforts have succeeded for the time being.
If SB1122 were truly motivated by concern for fiscal responsibility, it would apply uniformly across all executive agencies in Oklahoma. Instead, it singles out the State Department of Education. It also disregards the commendable efforts of Superintendent Walters in streamlining communication expenses and saving taxpayers money.
When the bill was being debated in the House, there were concerns raised over outside vendor contracts to assist with the external communications efforts of the agency. However, key information was not revealed to members of the legislature at that time, namely that the previous SDE administration employed many more full-time employees and spent more than double what the Walters administration does on communications, even including external contracts.
Had the legislature chosen to ban these outside contracts, it could have – but it chose not to. Instead, the legislature passed a bill meant to silence speech by Superintendent Walters and the SDE that it disapproves of.
A deeper insight into this bill is that it represents a dangerous precedent in our state. By muzzling the State Department of Education’s ability to engage in public communication, this bill undermines the very essence of government accountability. How can citizens hold our leaders accountable if we are denied access to crucial information about educational policies and initiatives because some politicians, working with left-wing activists, have decided we shouldn’t?
This is certainly not in keeping with Oklahoma or American values. Here we speak our minds and let the chips fall where they may. We cannot and must not give in to any instinct that seeks to shut off debate and use the government to silence those we disagree with.
Transparency and accountability are not luxuries; they are fundamental pillars of responsible governance. This bill threatens to erode these principles and set a dangerous precedent for future attacks on government transparency.
Governor Stitt now has the opportunity to demonstrate his courage and character by doing what is right for the future of our state’s education and protect the right of the People to have access to information needed to hold our government accountable. The hopes and dreams of Oklahoma’s children are at stake. We urge him to veto the problematic sections of SB1122 and approve the essential education department rules. This is a pivotal moment for our state’s education system, and we trust that Governor Stitt will rise to the occasion.
Original content via OKGrassroots.com
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