Legislature doesn't know how state funds are being spent thanks to 'immaturity' from Ryan Walters, lawmaker says

The lawmaker who leads the Oklahoma House’s budget committee on education issued a blistering news release on Friday, claiming he received a “childish” response from state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters’ top adviser when asking for information.

State Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, said Walters and the adviser, Matt Langston, have shown a repeated lack of transparency and cooperation with members of the state Legislature and have ignored their requests for information about the Oklahoma State Department of Education, which Walters oversees.

McBride said after his most recent request for information, the reply he and state Rep. Rhonda Baker, R-Yukon, received from Langston was a note saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

McBride provided The Oklahoman with a photo of the note and a photo of an unidentified person slipping the note under the door of McBride’s office at the state Capitol. The latter photo was taken by an anonymous Capitol staffer, McBride said.

“I’ve never seen a more whiney Democrat in my life," Langston said in a statement. "McBride continues to cry for attention while promoting failed policies, backing woke indoctrination, and promoting porn in schools while working hand in hand with the Democrats and the liberal media. He’s made every union leader and liberal extremist proud. No Oklahoman can take him seriously.”

'I really don't know what's going on over there. Nobody does'

Walters, who took office this January after previously serving as Gov. Kevin Stitt’s secretary of education, and McBride have a history of political clashes over transparency issues. Most recently, in October, McBride said he was caught off guard by the resignation of Walters’ recently hired program manager for grant development and compliance at the state Education Department.

The now-former program manager, Pamela Smith-Gordon, outlined the reasons for her resignation in a lengthy letter addressed to Walters and the state Board of Education. At the time, McBride said, "When you get this kind of information from somebody that worked there for a short amount of time – three or four months – I really don’t know what’s going on over there. Nobody does. There is some lack of transparency.”

McBride’s language was much stronger Friday.

"Throughout the last year, my colleagues and I have tried to find numerous ways to work with OSDE leadership as we chart a path forward for education in our state,” he said. “Our efforts have been met with standoffishness, immaturity and a total lack of transparency and accountability on the part of Superintendent Walters and his advisor Matt Langston.”

McBride said his most recent request asked the Education Department for information about teacher recruitment numbers, a Metrics Software update and for emails sent to Walters’ “Every Kid Counts” email address. Before becoming superintendent, Walters served as the executive director of a nonprofit called “Every Kid Counts Oklahoma.”

“Rather than providing this information, Langston responded with sarcasm and disrespect towards the Legislature,” McBride said. “It is important for OSDE leadership to remember that the Legislature, not the Department, is in charge of appropriating and overseeing state tax dollars. This responsibility comes with a duty to make sure that the appropriated dollars are being spent properly by the agencies and departments under the Legislature's purview.”

McBride said the lack of communication between the Education Department and Legislature means lawmakers “have no way to determine if state taxpayer dollars are being spent properly by the department. Rather than responding with childish wordplay, it is my sincere hope that they will begin to work with the Legislature to make sure we are all doing right by the children and families of Oklahoma. At the end of the day, this needs to be about the kids, not ego."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Legislature unsure how funds for education are being spent