Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters Wants to Spend $6 Million on Classroom Bibles
State Superintendent Ryan Walters wants to spend $6 million in taxpayer dollars to put Bibles in Oklahoma classrooms.
The State Board of Education approved a budget request to the legislature Thursday.
At the meeting, Walters announced in his budget proposal $3 million was already being spent on classroom Bibles, and the board voted to ask the legislature for an additional $3 million. The Bibles would be given to at least social studies and English Language Arts teachers in grades 5 through 12.
"So this would give us the ability to utilize $6 million in less than two years to ensure that the Bible hasn’t been driven out of Oklahoma classrooms and would be a significant step for the state of Oklahoma to ensure that we’re not allowing the left to censor American history," Walters said.
Walters did not make himself available to media members after the meeting, as he usually does, for further clarification.
The department did not immediately return questions on where the initial $3 million is coming from or the timeline for its disbursement.
Oklahoma Executes Convicted Killer Emmanuel Littlejohn
A convicted Oklahoma County killer was put to death Thursday after Gov. Kevin Stitt declined to grant clemency.
Emmanuel Littlejohn, 52, was executed via lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester on Thursday morning. He was pronounced dead at 10:17 a.m.
Last month, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 to recommend clemency for Littlejohn.
Littlejohn was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the 1992 fatal shooting of Kenneth Meers during a robbery of an Oklahoma City convenience store.
The execution follows calls from the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and Oklahoma House Representative Jason Lowe for Gov. Stitt to grant Littlejohn clemency.
Stitt released a statement after the execution saying the decision was difficult, but ultimately he is a “law and order governor.”
Oklahoma’s execution was the fourth to be carried out nationwide in one week.
Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Director Announces Retirement
The executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department has announced her retirement from public service.
Shelley Zumwalt made the announcement Thursday evening.
Department officials say Zumwalt will step down on Oct. 11 to pursue a career in the private sector.
Under Zumwalt, the department said the state saw over 18 million visitors and a nearly $12 billion contribution to its economy.
Despite controversy earlier this year, including calls for her resignation over alleged contract mismanagement, Zumwalt has maintained her transparency and denied any wrongdoing.
Apple Store Workers in Oklahoma City Ratify Contract With Tech Company
Retail workers in Oklahoma City are the second union of Apple store workers in the country to ratify a contract with the tech giant.
Union members from the Penn Square Mall Apple Store have been vying for better working conditions for multiple years.
Following months of delays at the bargaining table and a subsequent strike, the union officially signed a contract with Apple last week.
It will bring a few changes to the workplace:
Employees will see a wage increase of up to eleven point five percent over the next three years, they will be guaranteed paid time off to vote and will have job protection in the event of a store closure or relocation.
President of the local communication workers union Antonio Flores says the contract is a “direct result” of “collective strength and determination.”
Oklahoma Deploys Swift Water Rescue Teams to Aid in Hurricane Response
Oklahoma sent two swift water rescue teams and equipment to help hurricane response efforts in Florida and North Carolina.
Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management made the announcement Thursday.
The teams include Oklahoma Task Force 1 members from the Tulsa and Oklahoma City Fire Departments.
The teams are deploying in response to state emergency management requests.
State officials say they will continue to monitor additional requests from the affected areas, and further support may be deployed if needed.
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