Oklahoma state dey plan to buy 55,000 Bibles for all their public school classrooms, and dey have very specific requirements for these Bibles. Ryan Walters, de state’s education superintendent, na him mandate dis requirement, saying every classroom must have a Bible.
De bid specifications wey dem release show say de Bibles must be King James Version, include both Old and New Testaments, and also contain Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Dey must also be bound in leather or leather-like material. Dis criteria fit one particular Bible – de ‘God Bless the U.S.A. Bible’ wey former President Donald J. Trump endorse.
Dis Bible, wey Lee Greenwood, a country music artist, promote, dey sell for $60 each online. Trump dey earn royalties from de sales of dis Bible, and records show say he don make $300,000 from it since he start endorse am.
Many people dey criticize dis move, saying it no follow de principle of church-state separation and it look like dem dey favor one particular Bible. Colleen McCarty from Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice say dat de RFP appear equitable on de surface but upon further examination, it clear say very few Bibles meet dese specifications, and dem all endorsed by Trump.
Walters dey face opposition from several school districts and legal experts who say dis procurement might face legal challenges. Dan Isett, Director of Communications for Oklahoma State Department of Education, say dat de RFP align with standard state procurement practices, but others like Drew Edmondson, former Attorney General of Oklahoma, dey question de fairness of de bid process.
