Oklahoma State Education Department Renews Effort to Purchase Bibles for Classrooms Amid Lawsuit
The State Department of Education is looking again to buy Bibles for Oklahoma classrooms.
A new court document shows the agency intends to move forward with the purchase despite a pending lawsuit in the State Supreme Court.
In October, a lawsuit was filed against the department and the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which facilitates bid solicitations.
According to The Oklahoman newspaper, OMES entered a notice Friday to the court saying the Department of Education asked for a request for proposals for 55,000 Bibles.
OSDE made a request in October for the same kinds of Bibles — with a description that appears to be tailored to a version endorsed by President Donald Trump. After abruptly withdrawing that request, it bought more than 500 Trump Bibles for AP Government courses.
In anticipation of the RFP request, OMES asked the court last month to issue a stay of its work to process the order until the lawsuit concludes.
Inspection Finds Toxic Mold Still Present In Norman Library
A recent inspection found toxic mold is still in the Norman Library Central.
In some parts of the building, the report suggests the mold situation is getting worse.
An inspection done by Cavins Disaster Response Group earlier this month confirms airborne microbial growth in the stairwell and the Oklahoma Room.
This follows the group’s earlier inspection of the library in September during which it identified a pathogen that can cause severe infections in humans.
The mold was first discovered by Cavins in November 2023, after which the library was temporarily closed. In April 2024 the library was closed indefinitely.
In October of last year, the City of Norman filed a lawsuit against the library’s contractors for allegedly breaching their contract for not ensuring the library was built properly, as reports show there were signs of mold present during the construction.
OKC Council Approves $3 Million for Gold Dome Concert Venue
Oklahoma City Council approved $3 million for developers to turn the historic Gold Dome into a concert venue.
The funding will come from tax increment financing as a loan to a Tulsa-based entertainment company.
The company plans to spend at least $ 7 million on the project.
The renovated Gold Dome is expected to hold up to 2,500 people per event.
The company anticipates scheduling about 65 events each year.
Oklahoma Lawmakers Will Weigh Death Penalty Moratorium, Jail Reforms
Oklahoma lawmakers are considering a slate of criminal justice bills during the upcoming session. New laws suggest a variety of changes including pausing the death penalty.
In Oklahoma, there are 32 people on death row.
A bill from Sen. Dave Rader, would pause all pending executions and prevent the state from scheduling new ones.
It would also create a five-member task force to review Oklahoma’s execution practices.
Other criminal justice bills update the state’s correctional policies, change treatment expectations for incompetent defendants and restructure the pardon and parole board.
Members on the board would become full-time employees instead of part-time, addressing concerns that they need more time to review cases properly.
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