Legislators pass bill prohibiting OSDE public relations spending, awaiting Governor’s approval

Lawmakers in Oklahoma have sent a bill banning the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s spending on public promotion to the Governor’s desk after a heated debate in the House. The bill, known as Senate Bill 1122, aims to restrict the use of taxpayer dollars for media interviews, public relations, and other promotional purposes by the OSDE.

The controversy stems from previous expenditures by the OSDE, including a $22.5K contract with a Texas-based video production company for a public awareness campaign that only garnered 3.8K views on YouTube. Additionally, the department entered into a $50K contract with another company for social media videos.

The bill has faced opposition from the OSDE, with General Counsel Michael Beason arguing that it would negatively impact various programs and initiatives, such as school choice, teacher recruitment, and disaster recovery efforts. However, supporters of the bill, like Representative Mark McBride, believe it is necessary to rein in what they see as excessive spending and misuse of funds by the department.

The House ultimately passed SB 1122 by a vote of 57-35, with an emergency clause that would put the proposal into effect on July 1 if signed by Governor Kevin Stitt. McBride hopes the Governor will support the bill, emphasizing that it is about good government and holding rogue agencies accountable. The fate of the bill now rests in the hands of Governor Stitt as the regular session comes to a close.