'I don't like it': Gov. Stitt considers ban on OSDE public relations spending

The Governor now has the final decision on whether to ban the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) from spending taxpayer dollars on media interviews, publications, and other public promotional purposes.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Governor now has the final decision on whether to ban the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) from spending taxpayer dollars on media interviews, publications, and other public promotional purposes.

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 Friday afternoon, that “public awareness campaign” only has 3,841 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 which is also up for renewal at the end of June.

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.

"I will not stop. You're seeing the same efforts against President Trump right now. The left wants to silence their opposition," State Superintendent Ryan Walters said in a X (formerly known as Twitter) video Friday afternoon.

“The legislative intent was really clear: Don’t use it for political purposes,” stated Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat (R-OKC).

In a legal opinion from OSDE to House Republicans this week, it stated, "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 goes on to explain SB 1122 lacks a definitive definition of “public relations” and “other public promotional services.”

OSDE General Counsel, Michael Beason wrote in the legal opinion 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.”

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.

During Governor Kevin Stitt's media availability Friday morning, he was asked what his thoughts were on the proposal.

"[If] someone uses resources for self-promotion, that's wrong," stated Gov. Stitt. "If you've got a communications team in your shop, in your state agency, why do we hire [public relations] firms?"

In 2019, the Governor signed an executive order barring state agencies from spending taxpayer dollars on "outside lobbyists."

News 4 asked his office whether OSDE's contracts with Vought Strategies or Precision Outreach would violate the executive order, but haven't received a response yet.

According to the Oklahoman, state agencies have spent more than $99 million on outside public relations and marketing firms between 2019 and 2022.

However, records reportedly show each of those firms are based in Oklahoma whereas the two companies OSDE have contracted are based in two separate states.

"I don't like it. I also don't like picking on one executive agency, one Department of Education. If there's a rule that's good for one agency, maybe let's have an across the board for all state agencies," said Gov. Stitt.

The Governor stated his office is still reviewing the proposal and has not made a decision as of Friday morning.

If the Governor vetoes Section 16 of SB 1122, lawmakers would not be able to override his decision this year as legislative session concluded Thursday night.

"I hope the governor gives me an opportunity to at least sit down and talk to him. This is about good government," said Representative Mark McBride (R-Moore).

The radical LGBTQ+ groups have been targeting me and recently they found their champion in Mark McBride who agreed to partner with them to try to censor me and weaponize legislation against my agency.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters, R