OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — After a fiery, lengthy back and forth between House lawmakers on Thursday afternoon, a bill banning the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s spending on public promotion passed and is now headed to the Governor’s desk.
Last year, News 4 reported OSDE paid Texas-based video production company Precision Outreach $22.5K in taxpayer dollars to produce 30 minutes of videos for the department.
One of those videos included a “public awareness campaign” with clips of people speaking at events for national education and teachers’ groups, while ominous music played in the background. It also featured clips of interviews State Superintendent Ryan Walters gave to national media outlets in which he criticizes teachers’ unions.
As of Thursday evening, that “public awareness campaign” only has 3.8K views on YouTube.
That $22.5K contract ran from May 22, 2023 through May 21, 2024.
Another purchase order obtained by News 4 shows the Oklahoma State Department of Education entered into a new $50K contract with Precision Outreach to create social media videos for OSDE between March 6 and June 30, 2024.
After June 30, Precision Outreach and OSDE can renew the contract for three optional 12-month periods.
Additionally, further records provided to KFOR show OSDE entered into a separate contract with Washington D.C.-based PR firm Vought Strategies.
The contract between Vought Strategies and OSDE lists the following public relations responsibilities for Vought Strategies:
“Consult for third-party communications activities.”
“Provide national media bookings and placement activities.”
“Provide print and digital Opposite the Editorial Page (Op-ed) placement nationally.”
“Coordinate national events and appearances for executive staff.”
“Write speeches for events.”
OSDE contract with Vought Strategies It goes on to list specific requirements Vought Strategies must meet in order to stay in compliance with the contract:
“Provide at least three op-ed placements per month.”
“Compose at least two speeches per month.”
“Complete at least 10 media bookings per month.”
“Provide public relations consultation for education-related activities on an as-needed basis.”
OSDE contract with Vought Strategies Since OSDE hired Vought, State Superintendent Ryan Walters has made numerous appearances on national commentary outlets including Fox News and Newsmax.
A purchase order shows OSDE paid Vought Strategies $30k in tax dollars for services between March 6 and June 30, 2024.
Like the purchase order between OSDE and Precision Outreach, the purchase order between OSDE and Vought Strategies also indicates the contract can be renewed for three 12-month periods, at a rate of $200 per hour.
Senate Bill 1122 states in Section 16, “No funds appropriated to the State Department of Education in Enrolled Senate Bill No. 1125 of the 2nd Session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature or under the control of the State Department of Education shall be encumbered or expended for the purpose of securing media interviews, public relations, or other public promotional purposes.“
The Senate first passed the proposal 37-4 on Tuesday, sending it over to the House of Representatives.
“The legislative intent was really clear: Don’t use it for political purposes,” stated Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat (R-OKC).
The House didn’t hear it on the floor until early Thursday afternoon.
Prior to the legislative piece going to the House floor, OSDE’s General Counsel, Michael Beason, sent House Republicans a seven-page legal opinion detailing the agency’s opposition to SB 1122.
“The proposed law imposes an extreme limitation on encumbrances and expenditures by the OSDE for public relations or other public promotional services. It does not appear that such a limitation is, or has been, imposed on any other state agency.”
The legal opinion in response to SB 1122 states The legal opinion goes on to explain SB 1122 lacks a definitive definition of “public relations” and “other public promotional services.”
“I’m happy [Ryan Walters] got somebody to work for him as an attorney since his last whole legal staff quit under a cloud,” said Rep. McBride.
Beason wrote if SB 1122 passes and later signed into law, it would negatively impact the promotion of the below programs:
- School choice
- Sooner Start
- Teacher recruitment
- Teacher signing bonuses
- School safety programs
- Maternity leave
- Teacher empowerment programs
- Teacher of the Year awards and programs
- “Awareity is a crucial reporting service for schools, students and parents to inform OSDE of behavior or circumstances that may warrant investigation and administrative action. The OSDE receives approximately 800 to 1000 reports annually but cannot promote the program. Promotion of the program is integral because many school employees, parents and students are still unaware of the existence of Awareity.”
- “All training conferences OSDE provides will be questionable and in potential jeopardy, such as mental health resources, crisis response resources, child nutrition, Workforce Planning.”
- “Disaster recovery which makes school districts aware of options available to them after a disaster.”
- “If given its plain meaning the proposed law may also result in the necessity to take down the OSDE website which promotes OSDE programs and services.”
SB 1122 will result in unnecessary, unmanageable ambiguity that will severely hamper, if not render ineffective, many OSDE programs and initiatives and prohibit OSDE from adequately providing services.
OSDE General Counsel, Michael Beason While Pro Tem Treat had not read the legal opinion from OSDE regarding SB 1122 as of Thursday afternoon, he said, “I think the impact of it’s being overblown right now by the State Department. I think [Ryan Walters] may be getting some bad counsel inside the entity.”
While Representative Mark McBride (R-Moore) is not one of the authors of SB 1122, he represented the legislation and answered questions from his colleagues.
The chamber was divided during questioning and debate.
“My concern is if we can’t let the department provide any funds to promote… will it harm our efforts to recruit teachers from other states to come to Oklahoma?,” asked Representative Cody Maynard (R-Durant).
Representative Sherrie Conley (R-Newcastle) also stated her concerns over a potential lack of funding for promoting the Teacher of the Year.
Representative Andy Moore (R-Clinton) made note there is a difference between running promotional segments and sending out informational pieces.
Another question, asked by Representative J.J. Humphrey (R-Lane), was why the legislature was only now going after OSDE and not when “Joyless Shofmeister” was in office with an alleged 16-member communications team.
“I don’t know who that is. Maybe you got a speech impediment,” Rep. McBride said in response to Rep. Humphrey mispronouncing former State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister’s name. “I find it unacceptable for you… anybody, Republican, Democrat, elected member… You need to apologize and pronounce her name correctly.”
Some asked Rep. McBride if the support of SB1122 was a “vendetta” of his against Walters.
“This isn’t a vendetta. We’ve got a rogue employee,” Rep. McBride told News 4 on Thursday afternoon.
SB 1122 passed the House 57-35. An emergency clause, if signed into law by Gov. Stitt, would put this proposal into effect July 1.
“I knew that Walters had his minions out here working, trying to get members to vote no on it,” said Rep. McBride. “Now he’s got to pay for that out of his own pocket. He can’t have somebody else paying for his own personal gain.”
Rep. McBride told News 4 that Section 16 of SB1122 was reviewed by both Senate and House legal counsel. Both legal sides agreed the language was acceptable, according to Rep. McBride.
“It’s a victory for the people of Oklahoma, because I think the people of Oklahoma need to understand that we’re not going to let rogue agencies go and do what they want. We’ve yet to rein Superintendent Walters in completely. We’ve done some things. We’ve taken some steps. But it’s got to be much more than this,” explained Rep. McBride.
Previously, Rep. McBride has told KFOR he wants to put Walters “in a box” rather than go down a road of impeachment because Walters has not committed a felonious act to his knowledge.
News 4 asked Rep. McBride, “Do you feel like he’s in the box or do you feel like it’s still going to take some extra pieces of tape to get the box closed?”
Him and Matt Langston (Former OSDE Chief Policy Advisor/Current Walters Campaign Manager) are experts at coloring outside the lines. I think that’s what I would call it. They will continue to color outside the lines until they’re unelectable or they get in trouble.
Representative Mark McBride, R-Moore News 4 asked OSDE for its response to the House passing SB 1122.
Walters said, “What we’ve seen today is an unprecedented political attack against our agency by Mark McBride along with his hard left allies among the democrats, teachers unions, and LGBT groups. This is a sad and embarrassing day for the Oklahoma Legislature. If their concern were truly for good government, they would apply the same restrictions on all state agencies. Instead, we have seen a term-limited politician ignore the Constitution to blow a going away kiss to the unions.”
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SB 1122’s fate is now in the hands of Governor Kevin Stitt as this regular session ends May 31.
If the Governor vetoes Section 16 of the proposal, Rep. McBride said it may be too late to overturn it at that point.
“It’ll be a sad day. I hope the governor gives me an opportunity to at least sit down and talk to him. This is about good government,” stated Rep. McBride.