Senate Republicans decline to hear challenge to social studies standards

Oklahoma’s controversial new social studies standards – which contain more than 200 changes the new members of the Board of Education say they were not told about– are likely to go into effect next school year as Republican leaders decline to bring resolutions to reject them to the Senate and House floors.

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Senator Adam Pugh (R-Edmond) filed SJR 20 on April 24 after Governor Kevin Stitt called for the standards to be sent back to the Board of Education. The resolution was not put on the agenda.

Board of Education members say they had asked lawmakers to send the standards back to them once they learned about the changes that had been made between public comment and the February 27 vote on the standards. They say that while they were emailed the version with the changes, they were not aware that the changes had been made to the version they had already seen.

If no action is taken to disapprove of the Social Studies Standards by May 1, they will go into effect next school year. 

Why did SJR 20 not get brought up for a vote?

A spokesperson for Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) says while Paxton had worked with Sen. Pugh on SJR 20, the Republican Caucus ultimately chose not to bring it to a vote.  

“Following a lengthy conversation Monday, the caucus was not on board with rejecting the standards based on the process in which they were presented to the board of education. The standards are not a legislative obligation, and the curriculum is developed by the State Department of Education.” 

What changes were made to the standards?

Superintendent Ryan Walters says the changes include more than four-dozen mentions of God, Jesus and Christianity. Other changes made include adding in sections on 2020 election conspiracy theories and claims the COVID-19 virus started in a lab in China.

“We put the bible and God back in our classrooms to be studied in its role in American history. We make sure our kids understand the 2020 election and look at the facts around that election,” Walters said. “We want kids to understand what happened in 2020. We want them to understand President Trump's election, reelection.”

Democrats in the state house and senate say the changes are political and spread misinformation. 

“We have tried every tactic and strategy we can to make sure these standards are rejected. They are too political,” Senate Democratic leader Julia Kirt (D-OKC) said. “They are dangerous for kids, and we are not checking Superintendent Walter sufficiently.”

“These standards insert an extremist political agenda into our public education system that will only cost Oklahomans more taxpayer money,” Rep. Cyndi Munson (D-OKC) said. Munson is running to be the Democrat's nominee for Governor in 2026. 

You can find a list of the major changes made to the Social Studies Standards here.  

What comes next?

Sen. Kirt says there is still a chance SJR19, written by Democrats, and SJR20, written by Sen. Pugh, could be heard.

“The Senate and the House can move things through in one day if they choose to suspend the rules, but they would have to have enough support to suspend the rules. That's 2/3 of the body, and we haven't even seen a majority willing to reject the standards,” Kirt said.



The standards will go into effect for the 2025-2026 school year if legislators do not reject them by May 1. 

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