Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced Thursday he is partnering with singer Lee Greenwood to send Bibles to all AP U.S. Government classrooms across his state.
After state lawmakers this week signaled opposition to his $3 million budget request for Bibles in all classrooms, Walters announced the singer would be donating his “God Bless The USA Bibles” for the cause.
“The Bible is the most influential document in our nation’s history. Ryan Walters has committed to get every kid in Oklahoma a Bible and we need your help.” Greenwood posted on X.
Grace Kim, the spokesperson for Walters, told The Hill he picked these Bibles due to the historical documents in them, such as the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
“These are being sent to AP U.S. Government classrooms to enrich students’ understanding of America’s core principles,” she added.
President Trump has teamed up with Greenwood to promote the “God Bless The USA Bibles.”
Walters was accused last year of narrowly defining the state’s bid so that only the Trump-Greenwood bibles would qualify. The initial request for 55,000 Bibles was amended following blowback to the terms, then canceled a few weeks later without explanation.
Appropriators in the state Senate this week reportedly recommended cutting $3 million that Walters had requested toward the Bible purchasing program in the state’s budget.
Walters has aggressively pushed the boundaries between church and state in Oklahoma’s classrooms. He is in the middle of a related court case regarding his mandate to have schools infuse Bible lessons into curriculum.
Oklahoma is also at the center of a case the Supreme Court is set to hear about if a religious charter school should be allowed.
