Several Oklahoma House Republicans call for impeachment investigation
into Ryan Walters for forcing the Bible down the throats of
schoolchildren.

https://www.kosu.org/politics/2024-08-14/several-oklahoma-house-
republicans-call-for-impeachment-investigation-into-ryan-walters

Several House Republicans have signed a letter asking for an
investigation into �alarming� actions from state Superintendent Ryan
Walters and the Oklahoma State Board of Education and asked for an
inquiry into whether the �failures� justify impeachment.

Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, wrote the letter and sent it to House Speaker
Charles McCall on Tuesday, along with 16 co-signing lawmakers. McBride�s
office said four more lawmakers have signed the letter since he submitted
it to the speaker.

The letter, which Oklahoma Voice obtained, marks the first time that
public calls for an impeachment inquiry have come from within Walters�
own Republican Party. House Democrats have made similar requests since
last year.

Walters said the lawmakers who signed the letter are �liberal
Republicans� who have �joined the far-left Democrats to try to thwart the
will of Oklahoma voters.�

�Their calls are baseless and have no merit,� Walters said in a
statement. �They reek of political desperation from those who are failing
in their misguided attempts to stop the positive education reforms that
parents and voters have demanded from their elected leaders.�

McCall said he would not consider the letter�s request until 51 or more
Republicans sign it, according to a response he sent to his caucus.

He said criminal investigations should be handled by the Attorney
General�s Office, not the Legislature, and the financial concerns listed
in the letter could be answered in public budgetary meetings with
officials from the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

�I take elections very seriously, and anyone who was duly elected by the
people of this state should not be removed from that office, given to
them by the people unless absolutely required by the Constitution,�
McCall said.

He said previously his chamber wouldn�t initiate impeachment proceedings
against Walters unless �somebody puts forth an allegation of something
criminal (in) nature.�

Many of the co-signers, like McBride, sit on education-related
committees, including the Common Education Committee leader Rep. Rhonda
Baker, R-Yukon, and the committee�s vice chair, Rep. Mark Vancuren, R-
Owasso.

McBride, who has long been an outspoken critic of Walters, listed six
concerns that arose since the 2024 Legislative Session ended on May 30.

First on the list is the state Board of Education�s refusal to allow
lawmakers to attend the board�s executive session meetings. State law
grants permission to legislators who sit on related committees to attend
a board�s closed-door executive sessions, which are kept private from the
rest of the public.

Multiple lawmakers have said in recent months they were blocked from
attending the private meetings.

McBride also cited a lack of responsiveness from Walters� administration
to lawmakers� requests for information and to open records requests from
the public. The education funding committee leader also referenced a
�failure to comply� with the Legislature�s budgetary directives on school
security funds and funding for childrens� asthma inhalers.

The variety of complaints add up to a �pattern of overreach, disregard
for legislative oversight and policy making, and lack of concern for
student safety and budgetary stability,� McBride wrote.

The letter calls for a special investigative committee on the state
Department of Education. The committee�s responsibility would be to
investigate �internal and external failures� to follow the law by Walters
and the state Board of Education.

It also would look into whether those failures amount to willful neglect
of duty or incompetency, which the Oklahoma Constitution says are grounds
for impeachment.

�It saddens me that I must make such a request of you,� McBride wrote to
the speaker. �However, I believe that all other remedies have been
exhausted. I hear daily from constituents from my district and taxpayers
from across the state pleading for this body to take action and hold the
superintendent and the state Board of Education accountable for their
rogue behavior.�

The House speaker would have to agree to create such a committee. McCall
will be in office until he is term-limited in November.

The House is responsible for drawing up articles of impeachment and
presenting the case to the Senate, which would act as a �court of
impeachment,� according to the state Constitution.

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, said her caucus has
made five unheeded calls for impeachment proceedings against Walters. She
said on Tuesday she is glad members of the Republican supermajority are
now on board.

�Republicans hold the power in both legislative chambers and the
Governor�s mansion,� Munson said. �It is time for them to use their power
to hold the state superintendent accountable to the people of Oklahoma.
We have all waited long enough.�

Vocal discontent from Republican lawmakers escalated this week, even
among those who didn�t sign McBride�s letter.

The next House speaker who will succeed McCall, Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-
Bristow, echoed other lawmakers� objections to the Education Department�s
untimely responses and refusals to allow legislators into executive
sessions.

Hilbert did not sign the letter requesting an investigation. Instead, he
issued a statement Tuesday urging the rhetoric toward educators to �not
only be toned down, but reversed.�

�This past week my daughter started kindergarten in a public school where
I know she is loved and supported by phenomenal teachers and support
staff,� Hilbert said. �School districts across the state are back to
school but instead of talking about the excitement of a new year, we are
discussing these issues due to the statements being put out by (the state
Education Department).�

Two of the lawmakers who signed the letter, Rep. Ty Burns, R-Pawnee, and
Rep. Josh West, R-Grove, also voiced frustration over Walters�
�disparaging comments� about the superintendent of Bixby Public Schools.

Burns and West joined Rep. Chris Banning, R-Bixby, in a statement Monday
defending Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller, a former marine. The three
lawmakers also are military veterans.

Miller had complained the state Education Department has been slow to
provide estimates for Oklahoma schools� annual Title I funding. Walters
responded by calling Miller a �liar and a clown.�

Burns, West and Banning said the name-calling is �unbecoming of any
leader, especially the highest-ranking person in the Oklahoma public
school system.�

�As elected officials, paid with taxpayer dollars and entrusted with the
future of our state, we must hold ourselves accountable to Oklahomans and
have the integrity to admit when we are wrong,� they wrote. �We had hoped
Walters would eventually grow into his role, but after two years of
problematic leadership tactics, our patience is wearing thin.�

If you have a medical emergency, stop reading, log off, and dial 911!

>Several Oklahoma House Republicans call for impeachment investigation
>into Ryan Walters for forcing the Bible down the throats of
>schoolchildren.

Too bad you can't be impeached for stupidity. Teachers tend to be an
independent lot, and they're simply going to ignore the directive.
What will the administration do? It's questionable whether or not the
bible may even be taught as an academic field; although, IMHO, it may
be, so long as the school avoids trying to teach theology. OTOH, a
school board would be on shaky ground, indeed, trying to fire a
teacher for non-compliance.

Also, "impeachment" is equally stupid because Walters is appointed.