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Oklahoma has amended its request for 55,000 school Bibles in classrooms so other versions can meet the requirement for state approval - and not just the one backed by former President Donald Trump.
The request was changed on Monday, removing the requirement that certain US historical documents be included, such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, Politico noted.
Those requirements overlapped with the God Bless the USA Bible that Trump backed previously this year and is significantly more expensive than other Bibles.
The new request states that the documents can be included with the Bibles or come separately. It also changed the deadline for offers to supply the books from October 14 to October 21.
The push to have Bibles in classrooms comes from State Superintendent Ryan Walters. His efforts have met opposition from some of the largest school districts in the state.
In a video shared on X on Monday, Walters argued that the Bible will be used in schools “because of its historical significance throughout this nation’s history.”
He also slammed the “fake news media” for supposedly lying about the measure.
“The left-wing media hates Donald Trump so much, and they hate the Bible so much, they will lie and go to any means necessary to stop this initiative from happening,” he added.
A spokesperson for the superintendent said in a statement that the changes to the request were put forward by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
“Unfortunately, there have been false reports that have been repeated by numerous, supposedly credible, news organizations that the state’s [request for proposal] was catered to one specific organization,” Dan Issett said, according to Politico.
He added that making sure a request only fits one manufacturer would be unlawful.
Office spokesperson Christa Helfrey said the request was updated to save money.
“OMES worked with OSDE to amend the solicitation to provide the listed resources at a much better value to Oklahomans,” she said.
At first, the request asked for Bibles with unusual specifications but that fits the Bible that Trump told his supporters to buy at a site where they’re available for $59.99. Other Bibles can be bought for below $20.
