Oct. 4 (UPI) — Two versions of the Bible backed by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump are the only ones that fit the specifications of bids for classroom holy books issued by the state of Oklahoma, a report indicated Friday.
Bid documents for 55,000 Bibles issued by the state Department of Education and obtained by The Oklahoman newspaper reveal a list of specifications that only match two Bibles now on the market — one of which is promoted by the former president for a fee and another endorsed by his son, Donald Trump Jr.
One of the Bibles fitting the criteria is country music singer Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the U.S.A. Bible, commonly referred to as the Trump Bible, which costs $60 and from which the GOP candidate collects a royalty fee.
The other is the We The People Bible, endorsed by Donald Trump Jr., and selling for $90, the newspaper reported.
The specifications were issued by Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters, a staunch Trump supporter who imposed a controversial mandate this year demanding that Oklahoma public schools teach the Bible in class.
The state’s criteria for the classroom Bibles include that they be the King James Version and that must include copies of secular U.S. documents such as the Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They also must be “bound in leather or leather-like material for durability.”
Only the two Trump-endorsed Bibles fit the bill, the newspaper found.
The state issued the $3 million solicitation Monday. It’s open for just two weeks, despite official state agency recommendations that such requests remain open for at least four weeks.
A spokesman for Walters said the state intends to pay for the Bibles through payroll savings — at least 130 people have resigned or been fired since he took office last year, according to The Oklahoman.
Under the mandate, each 5th- through 12th-grade Oklahoma classroom is required to have a Bible from which the teacher is required to teach.
“This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country,” Walters said in July.
The rule has sparked a revolt among state educators. At least a dozen school districts in Oklahoma have publicly stated they do not plan to comply with the Bible requirement.