Senate leader taking a "second look" at social studies standards

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Lawmakers are now vowing to take another look at the new social studies standards for students. That decision follows Governor Stitt's questions about how the standards were passed.

Last week, both House and Senate leadership said they expected them to take effect.

Then late Thursday afternoon, Senator Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, filed a joint resolution regarding the social studies standards.

It states, “the legislature disapproves in whole the social studies and science subject matter standards approved by the state board of education on February 27th.”

The resolution also notes the cost of the new standards would be $33 million for textbooks and the curriculum.

It was filed just hours after leaders at the State Capitol decided to take a second look.

On Thursday, Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said he wants to reconsider the situation after Governor Stitt's concerns.

"The legislature is going to have to make a decision on that. But the mechanics of how it came about really just feels... It feels like somebody needs to look into it,' said Governor Kevin Stitt.

That was Governor Stitt's concern over the new social studies standard vote by State Board of Education members.

"It's been showed to me from the board members that they were emailed a copy of those standards. But then there was a different standard that was sitting on the desk that they actually voted on," said Governor Stitt.

As first reported by NonDoc, if these standards go into effect, students in Oklahoma schools will learn about 2020 stolen election theories and Bible stories.

"I've actually pulled the areas of the standards in. And I don't agree that it's enough to send them back based on what's in those standards," said Paxton.

While Paxton doesn't think it's worth it to send the standards back to the board, he did say the process of the possible switch is something that needs to be looked at.

"We're getting conflicting information from different sources. We're trying to figure that out to figure out what we're going to do, and of course, time is of the essence on this. We need to make a decision pretty quick," said Senate Pro Tem Paxton.

As the deadline approaches, Democratic lawmakers are pleading that the standards not be approved.

"We're calling on our colleagues to hear our resolutions or bring forward their own to make sure we reject this. The window is closing right now and we need to focus on our students first," said Senator Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City.

The decision to send back the standards has to go through the House and Senate, and that deadline is May 1.

If nothing happens, the standards will automatically go into effect for the next six years.

News 4 reached out to the Oklahoma State Department of Education for comment. We're waiting to hear back.