State Superintendent Ryan Walters has called on the Biden administration to reimburse Oklahoma for the costs associated with illegal immigration and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Walters demanded that the federal government repay Oklahoma taxpayers for what he claims are policies that have cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars. He emphasized the financial burden of illegal immigration, which he said has cost taxpayers more than $450 million. Walters also criticized federal spending on DEI-focused education programs, describing them as a waste of hundreds of millions.
He urged the Biden administration to discontinue DEI programs and compensate Oklahoma schools for the expenses related to educating non-citizen immigrants. “Those are dollars that could have been spent on a lot of different things. You look at teacher pay. You look at tutoring. Again, we’ve launched the largest tutoring program in state history. Well, that would have been a lot of money that could have been used for those things, as well, and so the state bore the cost of a policy the Biden administration knew the states were incurring,” Walters explained.
In response, Democratic State Representative Cyndi Munson criticized Walters’ focus, suggesting that he should prioritize increasing per-pupil expenditures and supporting teachers rather than engaging in political rhetoric on X/Twitter. “Instead of focusing on increasing per-pupil expenditures, keeping teachers in our classrooms, and ensuring our students have every resource they need to be prepared for the future, he is on X/Twitter pandering to President-elect Trump,” Munson said.
Democratic State Representative Forrest Bennett also questioned Walters’ fiscal concerns, referencing his recent expenditure of nearly $25,000 on bibles. “I cannot take his fiscal concerns seriously. After all, this is a man who just spent almost $25,000 on bibles. Those materials are readily available for free,” Bennett remarked.
Walters, for his part, told KOCO that he views Democratic lawmakers at the state Capitol as left-wing activists who have no relevance to Oklahoma’s future.
Read More:
- Alabama 8-year-old who raised funds for mother’s headstone is now paying back
- Surviving a Nightmare: Houston Man Fears for His Life After Ex-Girlfriend’s Attempted Murder
